Credits: www.healthywomen.org
According to a new study, medical personnel may now be able to recognize potential eating disorder cases a year before they would have been recognized, enabling patients to obtain help far sooner.
Beginning in 2008, researchers examined provincial health information for people aged 13 and above in Ontario, Canada. The study, which was released in JAMA Network Open on Tuesday, followed individuals’ electrolyte levels until 2020 and recorded how many had been given an eating disorder diagnosis.
The findings demonstrated that those with electrolyte abnormalities were twice as likely to receive an eating disorder diagnosis as those who did not, sometimes more than a year later. Additionally, the study found that the likelihood of diagnosing someone with serious problems was more than five times higher.
According to Dr. Gregory Hundemer, lead study author and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa and a nephrologist at the Ottawa Hospital, abnormal electrolyte levels are typical when a person is diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Dehydration, restrictive diets, vomiting, and laxative use can all affect electrolytes, which are vital minerals like potassium, phosphate, and magnesium. These conditions may all be signs of an eating disorder, according to Dr. Jason Nagata, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Nagata did not take part in this investigation.
Electrolyte levels were thought to be an excellent predictor of who could develop an eating disorder because disordered eating patterns are frequently present before a person is diagnosed, according to Hundemer.
According to Dr. Sydney Hartman-Munick, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, “this study raised the concern that electrolyte abnormalities may be a red flag for more screening much earlier into the course of an eating disorder than we might think.” The study did not include Hartman-Munick.
The study introduces the idea that electrolyte abnormalities may be a red flag that could lead to further evaluation, especially in the primary care setting, said Hartman-Munick. “We know that timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment predict better prognosis for patients with eating disorders,” she added.
Eating disorders’ Early warning symptoms
The epidemic has increased eating disorders, and abnormal electrolyte levels can be fatal, according to Nagata. A recent study found that between the spring of 2020, when the majority of Covid-19 restrictions/lockdowns were first implemented, and the spring of 2021, the number of eating disorder inpatient admissions among young adults and adolescents nearly doubled.
According to Hundemer, the most recent study on electrolyte problems suggests the need for quicker intervention.
He added that since many of the abnormalities were discovered more than a year before diagnoses, patients may have been referred to more focused screenings for eating disorders during that time.
The study “offers new insight into future study in this field. There is still so much we don’t know about the best approaches for prevention and early identification for eating disorders,” according to Hartman-Munick.
According to Nagata, eating disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated, particularly in men, members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, older persons, and people with larger frames.
The risk associated with abnormal electrolyte levels and the indicators of an eating disorder, such as fasting, severe caloric restriction, vomiting, or the use of laxatives or diuretics to lose weight, should be understood by healthcare professionals, he added.
Talk to your doctor about having your electrolyte levels checked if you are worried about your weight loss habits, such as using laxatives, diuretics, or vomiting, added Nagata.
Families of teenagers and young adults who exhibit eating disorders should discuss their concerns with a healthcare professional, according to Nagata. He added that the expert can screen for eating disorders and direct families to valuable resources.
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