Peripheral Vascular Abnormalities in Anorexia Nervosa: A Psycho-Neuro-Immune-Metabolic Connection

Immune, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation in anorexia nervosa lead to cardiovascular complications that can potentially result in increased morbidity and mortality. It is suggested that a complex non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular autonomic regulation—cardiac vagal co...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria Maddalena Sirufo, Lia Ginaldi, Massimo De Martinis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/5043
Description
Summary:Immune, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation in anorexia nervosa lead to cardiovascular complications that can potentially result in increased morbidity and mortality. It is suggested that a complex non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular autonomic regulation—cardiac vagal control, sympathetic vascular activity, and cardiovascular reflex control—could represent a promising tool for early diagnosis, personalized therapy, and monitoring of therapeutic interventions in anorexia nervosa particularly at a vulnerable adolescent age. In this view, we recommend to consider in the diagnostic route, at least in the subset of patients with peripheral microvascular symptoms, a nailfold video-capillaroscopy as an easy not invasive tool for the early assessing of possible cardiovascular involvement.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067