Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by abnormal operating followed by methods to avoid weight gain, like vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercising. Though bulimia nervosa is considered potentially life-threatening, its exact association with cardiovascular disease and mortality is not well known. This study aims to investigate the association of bulimia nervosa with the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease in mortality.

This longitudinal cohort study included a total of 416,709 women hospitalized for bulimia nervosa and those for pregnancy-related events (control group). Eligible candidates had at least one hospitalization for bulimia nervosa. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

During a follow-up of 12 years, women hospitalized for bulimia nervosa were at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with women hospitalized for pregnancy-related events (10,34 vs. 1.02). In addition, women hospitalized for bulima nervosa with 3 or more admissions were at a significantly higher future risk of cardiovascular disease (25.13 per 1,000 person-years). Bulimia nervosa was most commonly associated with ischemic heart disease, cardiac conduction defects, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerosis.

The research concluded that bulimia nervosa in women was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2752386?resultClick=1

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