Anorexia is a serious eating disorder that involves obsession over weight loss, a distorted body image, reduced self esteem, severe calorie restriction and a dangerously low body weight. Complications of anorexia may include hormonal imbalance, depression, drug or alcohol abuse and heart disease. In the severest of cases, heart complications of anorexia may result in death. If you or a loved one has suffered from long-term or extreme emaciation at the hands of anorexia, seek professional guidance and treatment promptly. Early intervention is the best means of preventing the devastating effects of the disorder. Although eating disorders are serious and complex, they are also treatable.
Dangerous Heart Rythms
Dangerous heart rhythms may occur as a result of anorexia. Though these heart abnormalities generally affect adults, they are known to develop in teenagers with anorexia. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), bradycardia is a common heart problem amongst people with anorexia. The condition is described as a slowed heartbeat, usually at a rate fewer than 60 beats per minute, below normal resting rates, which fall between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Symptoms of bradycardia include dizziness, weakness, fatigue, chest pain, sleep difficulties and mental confusion.
Electrolyte Imbalance
Electrolyte imbalance is a common complication of anorexia, a condition in which electric currents necessary for a normal heartbeat, such as calcium and potassium, are threatened or depleted. According to UMMC, improper balance of these electrolytes is serious and potentially life threatening unless fluids and minerals are replenished. Starvation and dehydration typically cause these imbalances, which are worsened when bulimic behaviors, such as purging or use of ipecac (a drug that induces vomiting) occur.
Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest can occur in severe cases of anorexia. According to an excerpt from "The Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders," a book written by Marcia Herrin, Ed.D., M.P.H., R.D. and Nancy Matsumoto, cardiac arrest may result in sudden death, which happens when a person with anorexia is asleep. Most often, cardiac arrest results from chronic, severe or long-term starvation or battle with the illness.
