Echocardiographic Findings in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: A Prospective Data Analysis

All articles of this category (opens in new window) Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder with a particularly high prevalence in adolescents. Among psychiatric disorders, AN has the highest mortality rate, partly due to cardiovascular complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cardiac structure and function of affected patients using a newly developed study protocol at our University Hospital. Methods: A prospective analysis was conducted on echocardiographic data from 33 adolescent AN patients. Key parameters, including left ventricular dimensions, ejection fraction, and the presence of pericardial effusion, were evaluated and compared with a control group of 55 healthy adolescents. Results: In the prospective analysis, the mean age of the patients was 14.7 years, with a mean BMI of 15.2. Among the 33 patients studied, three presented with pericardial effusion. Patients with AN showed a significant reduction in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness, AoVTI, LVOTd, and RVOTd, along with increased PAAT and E/E′ ratios when compared with reference values. One patient exhibited a reduced ejection fraction (EF