Patients WIth Eating Disorder Are at an Increased Risk of Autoimmune Diseases

A team of Finnish researchers presented a strong association between eating disorders and autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases that affect up to 50 million Americans, mostly women (75 percent), occurs when the body's immune system attacks and damages the healthy body tissue. There are nearly 80 types of autoimmune disorders. Few of the common symptoms are fatigue, fever and general malaise.

The study led by researchers at the University of Helsinki reveals that patients with eating disorders are at an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases. The main aim of the researchers was to highlight the prevalence and incidence of autoimmune diseases in a large Finnish patient cohort with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders.

The risk of eating disorders is known to up the risk of somatic illnesses. Many of these illnesses, such as type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel diseases, present autoimmune etiology. Studies have also shown how autoimmune disorders raise the risk of mood disorders and schizophrenia.

They based their finding on the evaluation of 2342 patients who were being treated at the Eating Disorder Unit of Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1995 and 2010. These patients were then compared to a group of general population that served as controls - a total of 9368. Their age, sex and place of residence as matched. Data on nearly 30 autoimmune diseases were from the Hospital Discharge Register from 1969-2010.

"We found that of patients with eating disorders, 8.9% had been diagnosed with one or more autoimmune diseases. Of the control individuals, the number was 5.4%," said Dr. Anu Raevuori from the University of Helsinki.

Rise in endocrinological disease was explained by type-1 diabetes, but the occurrence of Crohn's disease contributed most to the risk of gastroenterological disease. The greater prevalence of autoimmune disease among those with eating disorders was not due to endocrinological and gastroenterological diseases, when the two are being excluded. 

The rise in prevalence was present in those before the onset of eating disorder treatment at the end of the follow-up.

"Our findings support the link between immune-mediated mechanisms and development of eating disorders. Future studies are needed to explore the risk of autoimmune diseases and immunological mechanisms in individuals with eating disorders and their family members," Dr. Raevuori states.

The finding was documented in the journal PLOS One.