Prognosis
During the 20th century, there appears to have been no improvement in the prognosis of AN.(1) Normally patients experience a single episode of AN and return back to normal body weight. Some patients suffer episodically and other patients suffer from an unremitting course that leads to death. It is estimated that 20% of patients remain chronically ill and less than 50% recover despite weight normalization, improved eating behaviors and return of menses. The factors associated with a more favourable or poorer prognosis are described in table 6(2)
The suicide rate is approximately 57 times higher for women with AN than for women in the general population.(1) 20% of patients die prematurely from complications associated with AN, most often because of suicide or cardiac arrest.(2,3) Whereas, the crude ortality rate for AN is 4% accorded to a study conducted by colleagues from the American Journal of Psychiatry (2009).(4) Furthermore, for females 15-24 years old the death rate related to AN is 12 times greater than the mortality rate related to all causes of death.(3)
The suicide rate is approximately 57 times higher for women with AN than for women in the general population.(1) 20% of patients die prematurely from complications associated with AN, most often because of suicide or cardiac arrest.(2,3) Whereas, the crude ortality rate for AN is 4% accorded to a study conducted by colleagues from the American Journal of Psychiatry (2009).(4) Furthermore, for females 15-24 years old the death rate related to AN is 12 times greater than the mortality rate related to all causes of death.(3)
Table 6. Factors associated with Favourable or Poorer Prognosis (2)
References
1. Treatment of patients with eating disorders,third edition. American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Association. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(7 Suppl):4-54.
2. Talbert RL, DiPiro JT, Matzke GR, Posey LM, Wells BG, Yee GC. Chapter 64. Multiple Sclerosis. In: Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2011. http://www.accesspharmacy.com/content.aspx?aID=7984977. Accessed June 1, 2013.
3. About Eating Disorders. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/. Accessed June 1, 2013.
4. Hoek HW, van Hoeken D. Review of the prevalence and incidence of eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2003 Dec;34(4):383-96.
1. Treatment of patients with eating disorders,third edition. American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Association. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(7 Suppl):4-54.
2. Talbert RL, DiPiro JT, Matzke GR, Posey LM, Wells BG, Yee GC. Chapter 64. Multiple Sclerosis. In: Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2011. http://www.accesspharmacy.com/content.aspx?aID=7984977. Accessed June 1, 2013.
3. About Eating Disorders. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/. Accessed June 1, 2013.
4. Hoek HW, van Hoeken D. Review of the prevalence and incidence of eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord. 2003 Dec;34(4):383-96.