Citation

Neumärker KJ. Eur. Eat. Disord. Rev. 2000; 8(2): 181-187.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/(sici)1099-0968(200003)8:2<181::aid-erv336>3.0.co;2-%23

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Crude mortality rates in eating disorders vary between 0 and 20 per cent and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) between 1.36 and 17.8. The reasons for the data differing lie in methodological limitations, missing data and the design of the studies. The different lengths of the observation periods for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa may partially account for the fact that mortality rates for AN are significantly higher than they are for BN (Crow et al., 1999). However, regardless of these differences, the overall mortality rate in eating disorders is one of the highest of all the psychiatric illnesses. The main causes of death are the complications of starvation and cachexia as well as suicide. A high percentage of deaths remain unexplained. If we wish to gain more detailed information, it is essential that in all cases of death from eating disorder a full pathological and neuropathological investigation is carried out.

Language: en

Keywords

accident; albumin; albumin blood level; anorexia nervosa; bulimia; chronic inflammation; death; dehydration; eating disorder; edema; electrolyte; electrolyte disturbance; human; mortality; nutritional deficiency; potassium deficiency; review; starvation; stroke; sudden death; suicide; weight reduction