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Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper

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Name of Paper About .9 percent of American women will experience anorexia at some point in her lifetime (Anad.org). This is especially disturbing since anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder; twenty percent of patients with serious forms of Anorexia will die (mirasol.net). As eating disorders continue to rise in the American population, it is vital that research continues in order to better understand the impact that this disorder has on the body. Anorexia Nervosa is a disordered type of eating characterized by “...persistent energy intake restriction; intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain; and a disturbance in self-perceived weight or shape” (DSM). Diagnostically, patients are divided into restrictive and binge/purge subtypes. Restrictive type behavior involves significantly reducing food intake and typically includes limiting the types of food consumed. Binge/purge behaviors include inducing emesis and misuse of laxatives, diuretics, and/or enemas. Despite the distinction, patients seem to …show more content…

Nine patients with Anorexia had mitral valve prolapses compared to one in the control group, which indicates a significant difference. The echocardiogram results indicated a significant difference between the two groups as twelve patients with Anorexia and one healthy patient had silent mild to moderate pericardial effusion. Left ventricle diastolic volume, systolic volume, wall thickness, and mass were all significantly lower in those who had Anorexia. Late gadolinium enhancement was detected in the left ventricle segments of nine patients with Anorexia and none in the control group, though there was no evidence of a significant difference. Statistical evidence indicates that the BMI, age, and duration of illness was not significant between those who had and did not have cardiac

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