[17] Anorexia Nervosa Flashcards
What is anorexia nervosa characterised by?
- Deliberate weight loss
- Intense fear of fatness
- Distorted body image
- Endocrine disturbances
What are the biological predisposing risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
- Genetics
- Family history
- Female
- Early menarche
What are the biological precipitating risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
Adolesence and puberty
What are the biological perpetuating risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
Starvation leads to neuroendocrine changes that perpetuate anorexia
What are the psychological predisposing risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
- Sexual abuse
- Preoccupation with slimness
- Dieting behaviours starting in adolesence
- Low self-esteem
- Premorbid anxiety or depressive disorder
- Perfectionism, obsessional/anankastic personality
What are the psychological precipitating risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
Criticism regarding eating, body shape, or weight
What are the psychological perpetuating risk factors of anorexia nervosa?
- Perfectionism
- Obsessional/anakastic personality
What are the social predisposing risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
- Western society - pressure to diet in a society that emphasises being thin is beauty
- Bullying at school revolving around weight
- Stressful life events
What are the social precipitating risk factors for anorexia nervosa?
Occupational or recreational pressure to be slim, e.g. ballet dancers, models
What are the social perpetuating factors for anorexia nervosa?
- Occupation
- Western society
What is the typical age of onset of anorexia nervosa?
Mid-adolescence
What are the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa?
- Fear of weight gain
- Endocrine disturbances leading to amenorrhoea and loss of sexual interest and potency in males
- Emaciated (abnormally low body weight) - >15% below expected weight, or BMI <17.5kg/m2
- Deliberate weight loss with decreased food intake and increased exercise
- Distorted body image
The above features must be present for at least 3 months, and there must be the absence of recurrent episodes of binge eating, and preoccupation with eating/craving to eat
Other than those mentioned in ICD-10, what are the features of anorexia?
- Physical features
- Preoccupation with food
- Social isolated
- Symptoms of depression and obsessions
What are the physical features of anorexia nervosa?
- Fatigue
- Hypothermia
- Arrhythmias
- Peripheral oedema (due to hypoalbuminaemia)
- Headaches
- Lanugo hair
How might preoccupation with food manifest in anorexia nervosa?
- Dieting
- Preparing elaborate meals for others
How is anorexia nervosa investigated?
- History
- MSE
- Blood tests
- VBG
- DEXA scan
- ECG
- Questionnaires, e.g. eating attitudes test (EAT)
What blood tests should be done in anorexia?
- FBC
- U&Es
- TFTs
- LFTs
- Lipids
- Cortisol
- Sex hormones
- Glucose
Amylase
What may be found on FBC in anorexia nervosa?
- Anaemia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Leukopenia
What may be found on U&Es in anorexia nervosa?
- Increased urea and creatinine if dehydrated
- Decreased potassium, phosphate, magnesium, and chloride
What may be found on TFTs in anorexia nervosa?
Decreased T3 and T4
What may be found on LFTs in anorexia nervosa?
Decreased albumin