This post is about a journal article that describes mortality rates in
populations of persons with eating disorders. It is sort of
about that. The article is in the APA green journal, which is not
openly accessible. Only the abstract is free. Usually I
don't write about closed-access articles. But this is different,
because I am not going to do a traditional post about a peer-reviewed
article. You don't need to have access to the whole article to
get the point.
href="http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/12/1342">Increased
Mortality in Bulimia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders
Am J Psychiatry 2009; 166:1342-1346
(published online October 15, 2009; doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09020247)
OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa has been consistently
associated with increased mortality, but whether this is true for other
types of eating disorders is unclear. The goal of this study was to
determine whether anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating
disorder not otherwise specified are associated with increased
all-cause mortality or suicide mortality. METHOD: Using computerized
record linkage to the National Death Index, the authors conducted a
longitudinal assessment of mortality over 8 to 25 years in 1,885
individuals with anorexia nervosa (N=177), bulimia nervosa (N=906), or
eating disorder not otherwise specified (N=802) who presented for
treatment at a specialized eating disorders clinic in an academic
medical center. RESULTS: Crude mortality rates were 4.0% for
anorexia nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and 5.2% for eating
disorder not otherwise specified. All-cause standardized mortality
ratios were significantly elevated for bulimia nervosa and eating
disorder not otherwise specified; suicide standardized mortality ratios
were elevated for bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise
specified. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with eating disorder not
otherwise specified, which is sometimes viewed as a "less severe"
eating disorder, had elevated mortality risks, similar to those found
in anorexia nervosa. This study also demonstrated an increased risk
of suicide across eating disorder diagnoses. [emphasis added]
Note that the study population was at "a specialized eating disorders
clinic in an academic medical center." It is likely that this
represents a relatively more severely-afflicted subpopulation. I
don't think you see mortality rates like that in primary care clinics,
or college counseling centers.
Having said that, those mortality rates are rather daunting.
One of my points is this: a while back, a commenter proclaimed that all
NOS (not otherwise specified) diagnoses should be banned, or something
like that. While I understand the sentiment, the fact is, that
these diagnoses have a valid purpose. Used properly, they can
improve patient care.
Sometimes NOS diagnoses are thought of as "garbage can" categories:
labels to use when you can't really tell what is gong on, or labels to
use when the condition is not as serious as the "real" diagnoses.
Perhaps they are used that way, sometimes. But as the study
shows, it is a dangerous misconception to think that an NOS
diagnosis is not serious.
Illnesses are what they are, and there is no law of nature that says
that disease have to fit in the little boxes that we make for
them. Some people have illnesses that do not have precise
corresponding diagnoses. See, for example, this article (
href="http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/pdf/0811/0811CP_Cases.pdf">pdf)
for a case report of anti-NMDA receptor psychosis that initially looks
a lot like manic psychosis. There is not a specific name for this
condition. But it clearly exists, and it clearly is
serious. At some point, it would have been entirely reasonable
for the treating physician to call it "Psychotic Disorder NOS
(298.9)."
My second point is that eating disorders in general are serious.
Not all cases are terrible. Some people get better with a short
course of psychotherapy and a little bit of education. Some get
better with no treatment at all. But then, some people die from
it. There are not a lot of specialty clinics to deal with
this. Insurance companies killed many of them, including one that
I used to work in. Others were allowed to whither on the vine, so
to speak, by academic departments that chose to put their resources
elsewhere (another where I used to work).
It doesn't help that these are problems that afflict mostly women, and
that it is easy for judgmental persons to view them as moral failings,
or as illnesses that people choose to have. The implication is
that a person could "snap out of it" if they really wanted to.
This also is a dangerous misconception.
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While it is probably true that patients at an academic facility represent the most severely afflicted, since most insurance does not cover this kind of care there are many severely afflicted patients who, due to lack of coverage, can not get into one of these programs. We have had several patients admitted to our hospitalist service in the last year. These patients range from women who understand their disorder and are desperately asking for help to patients in need of involuntary psychiatric admission for eating disorders. However, their insurance companies choose not to recognize their eating disorders as a medical problem and refuse to cover eating disorders; but do cover admissions for complications of eating disorders such as pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and diabetic ketoacidosis. Somehow I doubt that any amount of evidence will sway the insurance industry to cover this type of care because it is expensive and the insurance industry is in the business of making money.
i have an eating disorder, so i understand that people with EDnos seem to get less treatment or have to wait longer for treatment.
EDnos is seen as a less severe form of eating disorder by the medical profession, insurance companies, the benefit system and even by alot of anorexics/bulimics.
eating disorders are sometimes competitive, so someone diagnosed with EDnos can be made more ill by wanting to be develop anorexia or bulimia.
anorexics are seen as the best, bulimics come second, then EDnos, and last of all disorders such as binge eatering disorder and compulsive overeaters.
it may sounds nuts, but it's amazing how many people with eating disorders want to be anorexic because they are seen to have to strongest willpower.
the "you must have a BMI of 17.5 or less" anorexic criteria is not a helpful thing.
it can motivate people to get to that BMI to be diagnosed with anorexia.
having the "no periods for 3 months or more" criteria in anorexia is stupid.
i known girls who are have very low anorexic-BMI's, but still have periods.
it also becomes irrelavent in girls/women who don't have regular periods anyway.
both these criterias can lead to people with anorexia being diagnosed as bulimic, or more often, EDnos.
i can only hope that when the next DSM criteria is finished they changed these problems.
When I was first seen by a doctor, my diagnosis was EDNOS. I was refused funding for treatment and also put to the bottom of the list (a 3-year wait) for just about every eating disorder clinic in my country. My condition worsened with my digestive system shutting down, etc. I was still refused funding for treatment because I wasn't considered to have full-blown "anorexia". In my case, the EDNOS diagnosis definitely made a difference as far as treatment was concerned!
I am pleased that someone has addressed the issue of all various types of eating disorders and stated the fact that can all be equally dangerous. The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People are unaware or usually forget that there is a NOS (not otherwise specified) disorder that has been diagnosed. Just because it has not been specified does not mean it is not important. From reading the statistics listed above, we know that an experiment was performed on 1,885 patients and the results read: Crude mortality rates were 4.0% for anorexia nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and 5.2% for eating disorder not otherwise specified. Patients with eating disorders are affected mentally, physically, and emotionally. This article provides good examples and statists from involving humans with eating disorders.