Citation

Herzog DB, Greenwood DN, Dorer DJ, Flores AT, Ekeblad ER, Richards A, Blais MA, Keller MB. Int. J. Eat. Disord. 2000; 28(1): 20-26.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(200007)28:1<20::aid-eat3>3.0.co;2-x

PMID

10800010

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We report rates and causes of death for a cohort of 246 eating-disordered women and provide descriptive information on their eating disorder and comorbid diagnoses.

METHOD: Data on mortality were collected as part of a longitudinal study of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, now in its 11th year. Other data sources included death certificates, autopsy reports, relative interviews, and a National Death Index search.

RESULTS: Seven deaths have occurred during the study, all among anorexic subjects with a history of binging and purging and with comorbid Axis I disorders. The crude mortality rate was 5.1%. The standardized mortality ratios for death (9.6) and suicide (58.1) were significantly elevated (p <. 001).

CONCLUSIONS: Anorexia nervosa is associated with a substantial risk of death and suicide. Features correlated with fatal outcome are longer duration of illness, binging and purging, comorbid substance abuse, and comorbid affective disorders.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance; Cause of Death; Death Certificates; Comorbidity; Suicide/statistics & numerical data; Longitudinal Studies; Interview, Psychological; Alcoholism/complications; Anorexia Nervosa/complications/diagnosis/*mortality; Body Weight; Bulimia/complications/diagnosis/*mortality; Massachusetts/epidemiology