Anorexia Nervosa

Loss of Bone Density in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa Food That Alone Will Not Cure

Nutrients
By Dennis Gibson, MD, FACP, CEDS Zoe Filan, MS, RD Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS Patricia Westmoreland, MD

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Abstract

Background: Anorexia Nervosa is a highly lethal illness that is also associated with many medical complications. Food restriction and weight loss define this illness. Most of its physical complications are reversible with weight restoration, with the notable exception of the loss of bone density, which is commonly present in anorexia nervosa. Methods: A comprehensive scientific literature review was performed in order to explore bone disease in anorexia nervosa. Results: The pathophysiology of the loss of bone mineral density in anorexia nervosa was elucidated, along with the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in patients with anorexia nervosa, including the nutritional approach to weight restoration. Conclusions: Loss of bone mineral density in anorexia nervosa is very aggressive. Nutritional rehabilitation is a cornerstone to treating this, along with medicinal considerations

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dennis gibson

Dennis Gibson, MD, FACP, CEDS

Dennis Gibson, MD, FACP, CEDS serves as the Clinical Operations Director at ACUTE. Dr. Gibson joined ACUTE in 2017 and has since dedicated his clinical efforts to the life-saving medical care of…
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Portrait of Zoe Filan

Zoe Filan, MS, RD

Zoe became a registered dietitian in 2023 after earning her master’s degree in Dietetics and completing her dietetic internship through the University of Vermont’s coordinated MSD graduate program.…
Written by
Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS

Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS

Dr. Mehler founded ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders & Severe Malnutrition in 2001. He began his career at Denver Health more than 35 years ago and was formerly its Chief of Internal Medicine and…
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Headshot of Dr. Westmoreland

Patricia Westmoreland, MD

Dr. Westmoreland is a highly respected physician in the field of eating disorders with over 25 years of clinical experience. She attended medical school at the University of the Witwatersrand in…

ACUTE Earns Prestigious Center of Excellence Designation from Anthem
In 2018, the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders & Severe Malnutrition at Denver Health was honored by Anthem Health as a Center of Excellence for Medical Treatment of Severe and Extreme Eating Disorders. ACUTE is the first medical unit ever to achieve this designation in the field of eating disorders. It comes after a rigorous review process.

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