Psychiatry Research EG

The prevalence of AN is increasing in western societies and its estimated prevalence is 0.2–1.0% [1]. Osteopenia is a common complication of this disorder, leading to many negative consequences at a young age [2]. Severe degrees of reduced bone mass have been described in young adolescents even during the initial stages of their illness [3]. A significant amount of bone mass is accumulated during adolescence and diseases that affect bone deposition during this time have persistent and severe effects [4]. Bone density and bone metabolism change considerably during adolescence, and the onset of anorexia nervosa (AN) during this critical time impedes the achievement of pubertal bone mass [5]. In addition, significant changes in body weight and composition, pubertal development, and pubertal hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), occur during AN that may affect bone [6]. With the background that the abnormalities in bone metabolism in adolescents with AN and their long-term impact are not completely understood, the aim of this study was to study bone metabolism and the potential causes of osteopenia in adolescent girls with AN in an Egyptian group in whom nutritional status, bone density, pubertal hormones, and biochemical indices of bone turnover were studied.