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" Anorexia nervosa largely a genetic disease

Julkaistu 06.03.2006 - 16:00



By Anthony J. Brown, MD



NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Genetic factors account for 56% of the risk for developing anorexia nervosa, according to a report in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. This information should provide some reassurance to patients and families that the disease is not the result of something they did wrong.



The findings are based on a comparison of disease concordance between monozygotic and dizygotic twins logged in the Swedish Twin Registry. The study featured 31,406 subjects, born between 1935 and 1958, who were screened for anorexia nervosa and other disorders from 1999 through 2002. Detailed information on all subjects was also provided in 1972 to 1973.



The overall prevalence of anorexia nervosa in women was 1.20% and in men, 0.29%, lead author Dr. Cynthia M. Bulik, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel, said during a media briefing. She added that during the birth period there was a rise in the anorexia nervosa rate among women, but not men.



As noted, the heritability of anorexia nervosa was estimated to be 0.56. " The remaining liability was due to environmental factors," Dr. Bulik said. Specifically, the variance attributable to shared environment was 0.05, and to unique environment it was 0.38.



The presence of neuroticism at the 1972-1973 assessment increased the likelihood of later anorexia nervosa by 62%, the report indicates. By contrast, a low body mass index and excessive exercise levels were not predictive of later disease.



" These findings are really good news for patients and really good news for families," Dr. Bulik told Reuters Health. " We have gone through far too much time where parents are blamed for causing this disorder because of how they behave." Findings from this study and others help eliminate the blame, she added.



The results are also important because they have implications for " targeted prevention efforts" and may " open up new areas of biological intervention," Dr. Bulik emphasized."



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