Abstract
The death rate of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients is up to 30 times greater than that of age-matched normal women. Bradycardia, hypotension and mitral valve prolapse are cardiac abnormalities that can be frequently found in AN patients. Risk of death is substantially linked to QT prolongation, which could be due to hypokalemia (binge/purging type AN) or to a starvation-derived anatomical remodelling of the heart (restricting type AN). The principal risk factors are duration of illness > 10 years, chronic hypokalemia, plasmatic albumin chronically < 3.6 g/dl and absolute QT > or = 600 ms.
Publication types
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Editorial
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English Abstract
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Review
MeSH terms
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Acid-Base Imbalance / complications
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Acid-Base Imbalance / etiology
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Anorexia Nervosa / complications*
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Anorexia Nervosa / diagnosis
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Anorexia Nervosa / physiopathology
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Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology*
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Death, Sudden, Cardiac / prevention & control
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Female
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Heart Conduction System / physiopathology*
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Humans
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Hypokalemia / complications*
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Hypokalemia / etiology
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Hypokalemia / physiopathology
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Male
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Mitral Valve Prolapse / complications*
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Mitral Valve Prolapse / etiology
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Mitral Valve Prolapse / physiopathology
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Mitral Valve Prolapse / therapy
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Nutrition Disorders / complications
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Nutrition Disorders / etiology