Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders
Plain English summary Eating disorders (EDs) are serious medical conditions predominantly affecting adolescents and young adults (AYAs). They are often associated with considerable threat to the patient’s health and wellbeing, with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) having the second highest mortality rate of al...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00724-5 |
| _version_ | 1811171857321164800 |
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| author | Dara Friars Orla Walsh Fiona McNicholas |
| author_facet | Dara Friars Orla Walsh Fiona McNicholas |
| author_sort | Dara Friars |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plain English summary Eating disorders (EDs) are serious medical conditions predominantly affecting adolescents and young adults (AYAs). They are often associated with considerable threat to the patient’s health and wellbeing, with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) having the second highest mortality rate of all mental disorders. The cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, is vulnerable to damage and may contribute to this. There are significant concerns that rates of EDs have been increasing, especially in adolescents. Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent “lockdowns”, there has been an increase in numbers of people of all ages attending community and acute medical settings. Furthermore, presentations are considered to be more medically unwell, with patients presenting with lower weights than previous years. This means that clinicians who might be assessing this group need to be competent in cardiovascular assessments of this cohort. The aim of this paper is to discuss the ways the cardiovascular system is affected in AYAs with various types of EDs, especially AN. The paper aims to provide advice to clinicians on how to assess and cardiovascular problems in this group. This practical summary should be useful to clinicians working in mental health community care who may be less familiar with treating potentially serious physical health problems. The most common cardiovascular issues in young people with low weight or weight loss include slow heart rates, low blood pressure, and problems with sudden changes in blood pressure which can result in fainting. Usually these problems resolve as the patient gains weight. However sometimes more serious changes in heart structure and function may occur and persist causing severe medical issues, like heart failure, which partly explains the high death-rate in AN. For this reason it is important that clinicians know how to spot cardiovascular problems in young people with AN and other EDs and provide them with the best medical care as soon as possible. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:21:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02819b0da26449728aeb0e6d397762e0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-2974 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:21:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| spelling | doaj.art-02819b0da26449728aeb0e6d397762e02023-02-05T12:02:03ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742023-01-0111111210.1186/s40337-022-00724-5Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disordersDara Friars0Orla Walsh1Fiona McNicholas2Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University College DublinDepartment of Paediatrics, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), Temple Street University HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University College DublinPlain English summary Eating disorders (EDs) are serious medical conditions predominantly affecting adolescents and young adults (AYAs). They are often associated with considerable threat to the patient’s health and wellbeing, with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) having the second highest mortality rate of all mental disorders. The cardiovascular system, which includes the heart and blood vessels, is vulnerable to damage and may contribute to this. There are significant concerns that rates of EDs have been increasing, especially in adolescents. Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent “lockdowns”, there has been an increase in numbers of people of all ages attending community and acute medical settings. Furthermore, presentations are considered to be more medically unwell, with patients presenting with lower weights than previous years. This means that clinicians who might be assessing this group need to be competent in cardiovascular assessments of this cohort. The aim of this paper is to discuss the ways the cardiovascular system is affected in AYAs with various types of EDs, especially AN. The paper aims to provide advice to clinicians on how to assess and cardiovascular problems in this group. This practical summary should be useful to clinicians working in mental health community care who may be less familiar with treating potentially serious physical health problems. The most common cardiovascular issues in young people with low weight or weight loss include slow heart rates, low blood pressure, and problems with sudden changes in blood pressure which can result in fainting. Usually these problems resolve as the patient gains weight. However sometimes more serious changes in heart structure and function may occur and persist causing severe medical issues, like heart failure, which partly explains the high death-rate in AN. For this reason it is important that clinicians know how to spot cardiovascular problems in young people with AN and other EDs and provide them with the best medical care as soon as possible.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00724-5CardiovascularAssessmentEating disordersAnorexia nervosaBulimia nervosaAvoidant/restrictive food intake disorder |
| spellingShingle | Dara Friars Orla Walsh Fiona McNicholas Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders Journal of Eating Disorders Cardiovascular Assessment Eating disorders Anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder |
| title | Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| title_full | Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| title_fullStr | Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| title_short | Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| title_sort | assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders |
| topic | Cardiovascular Assessment Eating disorders Anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00724-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT darafriars assessmentandmanagementofcardiovascularcomplicationsineatingdisorders AT orlawalsh assessmentandmanagementofcardiovascularcomplicationsineatingdisorders AT fionamcnicholas assessmentandmanagementofcardiovascularcomplicationsineatingdisorders |