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Low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among adolescents with anorexia nervosa

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Abstract

Summary

Fifty adolescents with AN and 200 healthy girls underwent vitamin D screening. Girls with AN reported exceptional compliance with vitamin D supplementation and PTH concentrations were lower. Vitamin D deficiency was less common in the group with AN, but when race was considered, the trend was no longer significant.

Introduction

The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) are more compliant with supplementation and have a lower prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than healthy controls.

Methods

Fifty adolescents with AN and 200 controls were compared using anthropometric and lifestyle data, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations, and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.

Results

The prevalence of deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 2% in the AN group vs. 24% among controls (p = 0.003). 25OHD was similar among white participants with AN and white controls (39.5 vs. 36.0 ng/mL, p = 0.20), but higher than in non-white controls (20.6 ng/mL). Significantly more girls with AN reported vitamin D supplementation (86%) than the full control (14%) or white subgroup (27%) (p < 0.001). Participants with AN had lower PTH concentrations than controls, (27.8 vs. 47.4 pg/mL, p = 0.009), a trend that lost significance after age and race adjustment (41.7 pg/mL, p = 0.12).

Conclusions

Compared to healthy controls, adolescents with AN had a lower prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and PTH concentration. However, 25OHD and PTH concentrations were similar after adjustment for race and age. The trend of lower PTH levels in adolescents with AN, accompanied by exceptional compliance with supplementation, may have bone health implications for these patients.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge and thank the expert nursing staff in the General Clinical Research Center at Children’s Hospital Boston; the excellent technical assistance of Diane DiFabio, Katie Clegg, Suzanne Muggeo, and Jessica Sexton; and our study participants who made this work possible.

Conflict of interest statement

No authors have a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, USA

    A. L. Haagensen & C. M. Gordon

  2. Clinical Research Program, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, USA

    H. A. Feldman

  3. Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, USA

    J. Ringelheim & C. M. Gordon

Authors
  1. A. L. Haagensen
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  2. H. A. Feldman
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  3. J. Ringelheim
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  4. C. M. Gordon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. M. Gordon.

Additional information

Research Support: Funded by NIH Grants RO1 HD043869 and MO1-RR-2172 to the Children’s Hospital General Clinical Research Center; Department of Defense (US Army, Bone Health and Military Readiness); and Project S-T71-MC-0000-10-S1-R0 from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

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Haagensen, A.L., Feldman, H.A., Ringelheim, J. et al. Low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Osteoporos Int 19, 289–294 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0476-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0476-z

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