[The history of anorexia and bulimia].
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Anorexia↗
Biomedical subjects
B Löwe
Publications and source records attributed to B Löwe.
[Metabolic syndrome and depression].
The metabolic syndrome is defined as a constellation of metabolic abnormalities, including glucose intolerance, obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension. It is associated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Over the past 20 years, a worldwide increase of the metabolic syndrome has taken place. In the USA, 21% to 39% of the general population suffer from metabolic syndrome; in Europe prevalence rates are lower. At the same time, depressive disorders, which are associated with a 1.5 to 2.5 fold risk for cardiovascular events, are increasing. The combination of metabolic syndrome and depression multiplies the risk for severe complications: Due to behavioural, physiological, genetic, and treatment-induced factors, depression stimulates the development of a metabolic syndrome. In reverse, the metabolic syndrome favours development and maintenance of the metabolic syndrome. Consequently, in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome and depression, both disorders must be treated simultaneously. The treatment plan includes weight reduction, physical activity, psychoeducation, family interventions, the patient's subjective explanatory and treatment models, cognitive techniques, and problem solving techniques. Weight, blood pressure, fastening glucose, haemoglobin A1c, and lipids must be controlled in order to monitor treatment progress. Additional drug treatment can be appropriate for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, and depression. Under these conditions, sustained improvements of individual well-being, psychosocial risk-factors, functional limitations, glycemic control, hypertension, and obesity are possible.
Comorbidity↗
[Anorexia nervosa].
Anorexia nervosa differs distinctly from other psychogenic eating disorders. Well known for the past 300 years, anorexia occurs consistently and is one of the most serious illnesses to be found for a certain age group. Three-quarters of the patients are healed or improve their condition long-term; one-quarter has a chronic course frequently including somatic complications and death. Because of the long healing process as well as the extensive chronification and complication rate, an individual treatment plan should be set up at the beginning of therapy to allow for a long-term structure of the course of therapy. Depending on the severity, phase and co-morbidity, inpatient and ambulant therapies are indicated. Depending on the duration of therapy, adequate weight (BMI > 15 kg/m2), good motivation, and lack of complications, an ambulant therapy is justified. Inpatient treatment is multimodal corresponding to the multifactorial etiology of anorexia nervosa. Weight gain is an important primary goal of therapy and a prerequisite for a conflict oriented, ambulant psychotherapy to be carried on after inpatient treatment. Ambivalent psychotherapy motivation and the necessity of symptom orientation demand technical modification both for inpatient as well as ambulant psychotherapy.
Anorexia↗
Recognition of distress and psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients: a multi-method approach.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and distress among 189 consecutively recruited cancer patients upon admission to surgical oncology wards, and to investigate the recognition of distressed patients by medical staff. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Assessment consisted of a diagnostic psychiatric interview (SCID, DSM-IV), patient-reported distress using a standardised questionnaire (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and physicians' and nurses' estimates of patients' distress. Twenty-eight per cent of patients were assigned a psychiatric diagnosis, with adjustment disorder predominating. RESULTS: Surgeons accurately recognised marked distress in 77% of patients with a psychiatric disorder and nurses did so in 75%. Because of low specificity, the positive predictive value was only 39% in surgeons and 40% in nurses. However, recognition of distress translated into referral to the psychosocial liaison service for only a minor proportion of distressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: Since a remarkable proportion of distressed patients remained unrecognised by the medical staff, only systematic screening of patients upon admission allows timely support to those who are most in need.
Adult↗
Long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa in a prospective 21-year follow-up study.
BACKGROUND: Given our poor understanding of the very long-term course of anorexia nervosa. many questions remain regarding the potential for recovery and relapse. The purpose of the present study was to investigate long-term outcome and prognosis in an anorexic sample 21 years after the initial treatment. METHOD: A multidimensional and prospective design was used to assess outcome in 84 patients 9 years after a previous follow-up and 21 years after admission. Among the 70 living patients, the follow-up rate was 90%. Causes of death for the deceased patients were obtained through the attending physician. Predictors of a poor outcome at the 21-year follow-up were selected based on the results of a previous 12-year follow-up of these patients. RESULTS: Fifty-one per cent of the patients were found to be fully recovered at follow-up, 21% were partially recovered and 10% still met full diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. Sixteen per cent were deceased, due to causes related to anorexia nervosa. The standardized mortality rate was 9.8. The three groups also showed significant differences in psychosocial outcome. A low body mass index and a greater severity of social and psychological problems were identified as predictors of a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery is still possible for anorexic patients after a period of 21 years. On the other hand, patients can relapse, becoming symptomatic again despite previously achieving recovery status. Only a few patients classified as having a poor outcome were found to seek any form of treatment, therefore, it is recommended that these patients should be monitored regularly and offered treatment whenever possible.
Adult↗
Osteoporosis in eating disorders: a follow-up study of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
This study prospectively investigated the course of bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) over a 3.6-yr follow-up period. From an initial sample of 47 female patients with an eating disorder (T1), 38 (n = 24 AN; n = 14 BN) were reassessed at follow-up (T2) (participation rate, 80.1%). For nonrecovered AN patients at T2, prevalence rates of osteopenia (-1.0 SD > or = T-score > -2.5 SD) and osteoporosis (T-score < or = -2.5 SD) at the lumbar spine were 54.2 and 20.8%, respectively. Due to an annual loss of lumbar spine BMD (-3.7 +/- 4.9%) in the chronic AN patients and a slight but insignificant annual increase (0.7 +/- 1.7%) for those who recovered, the difference in BMD between both outcome groups was more pronounced at follow-up (0.93 +/- 0.13 vs. 1.14 +/- 0.13 g/cm2; P < 0.01). Nonrecovered AN patients with binge eating/purging type showed a significantly reduced BMD compared with patients with the restricting type (0.87 +/- 0.13 vs. 1.02 +/- 0.08 g/cm2; P = 0.02). Both at baseline and follow-up, AN patients had increased rates of bone resorption, as measured by urinary desoxypyridinoline, compared with a control group (n = 42) (11.4 +/- 4.4 vs. 10.4 +/- 7.8, P < 0.001, vs. 5.6 +/- 2.4 and 10.4 +/- 7.8 nM/mM creatinine, P < 0.05, respectively). The subtype of AN and body mass index were best predictors for BMD at the lumbar spine at follow-up (R2 = 0.576). With one exception, all bulimic patients had BMD and markers of bone turnover within the normal range. These results suggest that patients with chronic AN, particularly of the binge eating/purging type, are at high risk for osteoporosis and may need additional therapy to prevent bone loss.
Adult↗
Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: lessons from a 21-year follow-up study.
In a prospective long-term follow-up of 84 patients 21 years after first hospitalisation for anorexia nervosa, we found that 50.6% had achieved a full recovery, 10.4% still met full diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, and 15.6% had died from causes related to anorexia nervosa. Predictors of outcome included physical, social, and psychological variables.
Anorexia Nervosa↗
[Eating behavior, eating disorders and obesity].
Over the last 50 years, the nutritional and socioeconomic conditions have dramatically changed in all industrialized countries. As a consequence, there has been a sharp rise in the prevalence of obesity. Simultaneously, social and cultural pressures to maintain a thin body shape have significantly increased. This untoward situation is largely responsible for the steady increase of eating disorders, especially bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, which are common disorders among normal or overweight individuals. Although the criteria for bulimia nervosa were first described in the DSM-III in 1980 (APA, 1980), recent studies have demonstrated that only about 12% of these patients are detected by their GP's. One reason for this low rate of detection may be due to the tendency of patients to conceal their illness from others. It is also possible, however, that general practitioners lack sufficient knowledge about bulimia nervosa, preventing proper identification. To help improve this situation, diagnostic guidelines and therapeutic options were summarized. Binge-eating disorder (BED), which is classified as an "eating disorder not otherwise specified" in the DSM-IV (APA, 1994), has been described as the most relevant eating disorder for overweight individuals. It has been estimated that approximately 20-30% of overweight persons seeking help at weight loss programs are classified as binge eaters. Initial results from these studies suggest that binge eaters may require a modified psychotherapeutic approach which focuses on normalizing disordered eating patterns before attempting weight loss. In addition to the importance of screening for eating disorder behaviors, overweight patients should be assessed for other comorbid conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Further, body image disturbances should be assessed during the evaluation. In the event that comorbid disorders are present, it is recommended that specific psychotherapeutic interventions which target these problems be integrated into the overall weight reduction program.
Anxiety Disorders↗
[Quality of life, depression and coping behavior in patients awaiting heart transplant].
From a medical perspective, heart transplantation is now an established procedure for the treatment of patients with terminal heart failure. For the patient involved, it presents itself as a situation of great psychological distress, particularly during the waiting period. In the last few years, this situation has grown worse due to the decline in the number of donor organs and the resulting longer waiting period. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate this phase of the transplantation procedure in a follow-up study. 52 patients could be assessed in follow-up. Although the patients had already differed from the healthy control group in the areas of depression, quality of life, and physical complaints (p < 0.001) at the beginning of the study, there was a significant increase of depression and a further decline in the reported quality of life in the course of the study. The patients presented themselves as having a low internal and a significantly increased external and fatalistic locus of control. The study stresses the necessity for supportive psychotherapeutic therapy in these patients.
Adaptation, Psychological↗
[Emotional status of patients on the waiting list for heart transplantation].
Although heart transplantation is by now considered an established procedure in patients with terminal heart failure, there has been a stagnation or even a decline in the number of transplantations performed due to the decreased willingness of the public to provide organs. As a consequence of this development patients have to wait for a donor organ for a much larger time. The aim of this study was to examine patients especially during this very stressful period. From July 1995 to February 1997, 62 patients who had been continuously added to the waiting list were examined regarding their quality of life and emotional state. Completely assessed were 53 patients (participation rate: 85%). As compared to a healthy control group, patients with terminal heart failure on the waiting list reported their quality of life in the physical as well as the psychological area as significantly lower (p < 0.001). The areas of depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001) also showed a significant difference. There was an obvious correlation (p < 0.01) between the key symptom of terminal heart failure-- dyspnoea--and the measured level of depression. This served to support the notion that there is a connection between the psychological and the somatic state in these severely ill patients. These results point to the necessity of supportive psychotherapeutic treatment during this very stressful time.
Adult↗
Psychological distress in patients awaiting heart transplantation.
Heart transplantation has become an established procedure for the treatment of terminal heart failure. However, due to a shortage of donor organs, the waiting period for a donor organ is increasing. Cross-sectional and retrospective studies have indicated that there is tremendous psychological distress during this waiting period. The aim of this study was to assess this phase systematically and longitudinally. At the beginning of their waiting period, 62 patients at the Heidelberg Transplantation Centre were examined with regard to their physical complaints, quality of life, and level of depression. Four months later the remaining 42 patients were re-examined. The sample showed a significant increase (p<0.001) in subjective physical symptoms and an impairment in social activities (p<0.05) and everyday life (p<0.05), and a significant increase in depression (p<0.001), despite the relatively short time period. These results show the necessity of supportive psychotherapy for patients undergoing heart transplantation.
Adult↗
[A comparative study of minimal invasive harvesting of vena saphena magna segments].
From July 1997 to February 1998 we performed either minimally invasive or endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting in 55 patients and compared the results with those of 46 patients after conventional saphenous vein harvesting. Minimally invasive and endoscopical vein harvesting can be safely performed after a longer learning curve. Patients after minimally invasive and endoscopical saphenous vein harvesting showed fewer wound healing problems and better cosmetic results than after conventional vein harvesting.
Aged↗
[Validation of the FKB-20 as scale for the detection of body image distortions in psychosomatic patients].
The study examines the validity of a body image questionnaire (FKB-20) assessing body image disturbances in a clinical sample (n = 405 outpatients of a psychosomatic clinic) and two non-clinical samples (n = 141 medical students and n = 208 sports students). The criterion group was constituted by 98 patients of the clinical sample with diagnosed body image disturbances (anorexia, transsexualism, hypochondriac symptoms). The validity coefficients were 0.56-0.65. The sensitivity of the questionnaire was 82-90%, the specificity 90-97%, and the total mistake rate was 8-10%. The FKB-20 proves to have good validity and can be used for the diagnosis of body image disturbances.
Adolescent↗
[Health-related interests of student teachers--an empirical pilot study in an educational college].
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Adult↗
[Knowledge and attitude of pupils about the cancer problem -- a pilot study conducted amongst pupils in Northern Baden (author's transl)].
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Adolescent↗
Musculoskeletal and neuropsychiatric manifestations are the main source of persisting affection and organ damage in a German population of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Adolescent↗