Bone mineral density of young women with history of anorexia nervosa

A decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) is frequently seen in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). This study was designed to assess BMD of young Icelandic women with current or previous history of AN and identify predictors which might be targets for preventive measures. The study was retrospective. Participants were women aged 18-40 years, with diagnosis of AN (F50.0, F50.1) attending the anorexia unit at Landspítali - The National University Hospital of Iceland - in 2001-2009, who had undergone measurement of BMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A control group consisted of 58 healthy 30 years old women participating in a study of bone health in 2001-2003. At time of BMD measurement the median body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) in the AN group (n=40) was 17.4 (12.3-25.2) compared to 23.6 (18.1-43.7) in the control group (p