Abstract
Objective: To compare flow-mediated vasodilatation in patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects. Background: Endothelial dysfunction is present in the patients with anorexia nervosa.
However, flow-mediated vasodilatation in the patients with anorexia nervosa in comparison with control subjects has not been yet evaluated. Methods: Flow-mediated vasodilatation in the brachial artery was examined in 30 patients with anorexia nervosa admitted to metabolic care unit for realimentation and compared to 30 control subjects.
Results: The average age of the patients with mental anorexia was 25.0 +/- 5.2 compared to 25.5 +/- 4.5 years of the healthy control subjects (NS). BMI was in 14.0 +/- 1.7 kg/m(2) in patients with anorexia nervosa comparing to 20.4 +/- 1.0 kg/m2 in the healthy control subjects (p<0.001).
The baseline mean diameter of the right brachial artery was 0.33 +/- 0.06 cm in the anorexia nervosa patients and 0.35 +/- 0.05 cm in the control subjects (NS). The absolute increase of brachial artery size after reactive hyperemia was 0.029 +/- 0.006 cm (9%) in the anorexia nervosa patients and 0.039 +/- 0.006 cm (11 %) in the control subjects (p=0.002).
After realimentation, the baseline mean diameter of the right brachial artery was comparable to the result before nutrition intervention -0.34 +/- 0.05 cm but brachial artery increase due to reactive hyperemia was 0.036 +/- 0.05 cm (10.5 %). It was for 19 % higher compared to the first examination (p<0.001) Conclusion: Flow-mediated vasodilatation is decreased in the patients with anorexia nervosa in comparison with the healthy control subjects and improves after realimentation (Tab. 1, Ref. 20).
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