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Excessive physical activity in young girls with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa: its role on cardiac structure and performance

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of hyperactivity on left ventricular mass (LVM) in Anorexia Nervosa restricting-type (AN-R) and the correlation between LVM and auxologic parameters/circulating hormones.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed in 44 AN-R girls, subgrouped in 24 hyperactive (ANH+) and 20 non-hyperactive (ANH−), and in 20 controls (HC). LVM indexed to Body Surface Area (LVMi) and LVM indexed to height (LVMh) were calculated.

Results

LVMi and LVMh were significantly lower in the AN-R subjects compared to HC. Moreover, both LVMi and LVMh were higher in the ANH+ than in the ANH−. In the HC, LVMi was higher when compared to the ANH− subjects than to the ANH+. Stepwise analysis revealed that in the ANH+ group, fT4 was the only independent predictor of LVMh, while in the ANH− group, height was the only independent predictors of LVMi.

Conclusions

Despite its negative influence on disease severity and outcome, hyperactivity from the standpoint of cardiac function makes the LVM of AN-R young girls more similar to HC.

Level of evidence

Level III, case–control study.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr. Giampiero Igli Baroncelli from the Pediatric Unit I, University of Pisa, Italy, for providing DEXA data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Lucia Billeci, Olivia Curzio & Maria Aurora Morales

  2. IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, PI, Italy

    Elena Brunori, Silvia Scardigli, Sara Calderoni & Sandra Maestro

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, via Savi 10, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Sara Calderoni

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  1. Lucia Billeci
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  2. Elena Brunori
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  3. Silvia Scardigli
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  4. Olivia Curzio
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  5. Sara Calderoni
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  6. Sandra Maestro
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  7. Maria Aurora Morales
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucia Billeci.

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Funding

This work was supported by grant from the IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation (Ricerca Corrente, and the “5 × 1000” voluntary contributions, Italian Ministry of Health).

Conflict of interest

All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Ethical approval

The study conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the IRCCS Stella Maris Institutional Ethical Committee.

Informed consent

An informed consent was obtained from each subject and from a parent or guardian.

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Billeci, L., Brunori, E., Scardigli, S. et al. Excessive physical activity in young girls with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa: its role on cardiac structure and performance. Eat Weight Disord 23, 653–663 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0447-0

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