Pulse wave velocity during re-feeding and with weight gain in underweight female adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) causes harmful underweight and important cardiovascular acute complications however less is known about longer-term cardiovascular risk. We measured carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) in a group of underweight young women with AN at baseline and weekly as they were refed and gained weight. PWV decreased over time and was negatively associated with increasing BMI and calorific meal content suggesting potential positive cardiovascular benefits for refeeding and weight gain in AN and supports current consensus for the importance of weight gain in underweight young women with AN.

Automated summary

This study found that Anorexia Nervosa (AN) causes harmful underweight and important cardiovascular acute complications, but less is known about longer-term cardiovascular risk. The study measured carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) in underweight young women with AN at baseline and weekly during refeeding and weight gain. The results showed that PWV decreased over time and was negatively associated with increasing BMI and calorific meal content. These findings suggest potential positive cardiovascular benefits for refeeding and weight gain in AN, supporting the importance of weight gain in underweight young women with AN.