Time course of bone loss in patients with anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the time course of bone mineral density (BMD) in women with anorexia nervosa (AN) during two years of follow-up. Methods: We prospectively studied 51 female with AN aged 18-38 years, and forty age-matched healthy women (19-34 years). BMD was measured in lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH) by DXA. Results: At baseline, weight, body mass index, and lumbar and hip BMD were significantly (p<0.001) lower in AN patients than in controls. Patients who gain weight showed a significant increase in BMD at FN (+1.6%; p<0.05), and TH (+4.4%; p<0.05) and lower non significant changes in LS (+1.3%). Weight at entry, and percent change of weight were significant determinants (p<0.05) of the variability in percent change of BMD at FN and TH, whereas weight at entry was the main determinant of bone modifications at lumbar spine. Conclusions: Our data emphasize the influence of weight gain in recovery of bone mass in AN patients, especially at the hip.