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Abstract
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Aims: Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders. Physical sequelae include cardiac issues, electrolyte imbalances, and immune dysregulation. Identifying biomarkers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), may improve understanding of disease severity and inform treatment strategies. This study aimed to examine the relationship between blood biomarkers and illness severity in patients with anorexia nervosa.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 108 patients with AN admitted to a Paediatric Hospital in Ireland. Data included demographics, clinical measures such as weight-for-height (WFH) and duration of admission, and blood test results, including NLR. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between biomarkers and clinical outcomes.
Results: The cohort (n = 108, 100 female, mean age 14.2 years) had a mean WFH on admission of 81.8 % and an average admission duration of 27.8 days. Blood test abnormalities included low eosinophils (73.1 %), red blood cells (59.3 %), and haemoglobin (38 %). Significant correlations were found between low haemoglobin and WFH on admission (r = - 0.22, p < 0.05) and low neutrophils and longer admission duration (r = 0.35, p < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that a lower NLR on admission was associated with longer admission duration (B = - 2.97, p < 0.05)
Conclusions: This study emphasises the relevance of NLR and other blood biomarkers in understanding illness severity and clinical outcomes in anorexia nervosa. Future research should focus on specific biomarkers in eating disorders and their potential therapeutic implications.
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