Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS
Volume 46, Issue 5, Pages 470-477Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/eat.22104
Keywords
anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; binge eating disorder; pharmacotherapy; drug treatment
Funding
- National Institutes of Health [K23 DK085066, UO1 DK066471, RO1 DK84979]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective: To provide a comprehensive review of pharmacotherapy and other biological treatments for eating disorders. Method: Literature on this topic was systematically reviewed. Results: The bulimia nervosa (BN) literature underscores the utility of antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, in improving the symptoms of the disorder. The literature on binge eating disorder supports efficacy on reduction in binge eating frequency for a variety of compounds. However, such compounds have only modest effects on weight. Certain antiepileptic agents such as topiramate, if tolerated, are probably more useful in terms of weight loss. The number of controlled trials in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) in particular has been quite small, and recent meta-analyses show disappointing results using atypical antipsychotics in AN. Discussion: The pharmacological treatment of eating disorders remains an underdeveloped field although drug therapy clearly plays a role in the treatment of those with BN and binge eating disorder. Other biological therapies have not been adequately studied. (c) 2013 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:470477)
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available