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Comparison of the Metabolic Complications of Severe Anorexia Nervosa by BingePurge and Subtypes

This study examines adult patients with severe, life-threatening anorexia nervosa who were admitted to an inpatient, medical stabilization unit between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2014. Specifically, the study compares anorexia nervosa, binge purge subtype (AN-BP) and anorexia nervosa, restricting subtype (AN-R) on admission measures, hospital course, and outcomes.

Of the 232 patients, 46% (N = 108) had AN-BP. Patients with AN-R manifested a higher frequency of underweight-mediated medical complications, including bone marrow dysfunction, hepatic dysfunction, and hypoglycemia. Understanding the pathophysiologic differences between severe AN-R and AN-BP is essential to understanding the abnormalities seen on clinical presentation, guiding appropriate clinical treatment, and predicting medical complications during refeeding.

Read the full article in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention.

  1. Rylander M, Brinton JT, Sabel AL, Mehler PS, Gaudiani JL. A comparison of the metabolic complications and hospital course of severe anorexia nervosa by binge-purge and restricting subtypes. Eat Disord 2017 Jan 6;1–13. DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2016.1269555

ACUTE Earns Prestigious Center of Excellence Designation from Anthem
In 2018, the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders & Severe Malnutrition at Denver Health was honored by Anthem Health as a Center of Excellence for Medical Treatment of Severe and Extreme Eating Disorders. ACUTE is the first medical unit ever to achieve this designation in the field of eating disorders. It comes after a rigorous review process.

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