Zinc levels in severe eating disorders
Abstract Purpose Severe eating and feeding disorders including Anorexia Nervosa of both restricting (AN-R) and binge-purge (AN-BP) subtypes and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) lead to multiple macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, including zinc, in the setting of inadequat...
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BMC
2025-02-01
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Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01199-w |
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author | Kara Leach Dan V. Blalock Judy Oakes Melanie Hebert Marina Foster Philip S. Mehler |
author_facet | Kara Leach Dan V. Blalock Judy Oakes Melanie Hebert Marina Foster Philip S. Mehler |
author_sort | Kara Leach |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Purpose Severe eating and feeding disorders including Anorexia Nervosa of both restricting (AN-R) and binge-purge (AN-BP) subtypes and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) lead to multiple macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, including zinc, in the setting of inadequate dietary intake. We investigated whether zinc levels correlated with severe malnutrition, with particular subtypes of eating disorders (EDs), and the effect of the refeeding process. Methods This prospective study included 92 adult patients with severe AN or ARFID hospitalized in a medical stabilization unit. Denver Health staff were recruited as controls. Blood samples were drawn within four days of admission and 72 h of discharge. All inferential analyses were performed using general linear models. Results Admission zinc levels were statistically significantly lower in cases compared to controls. Admission zinc levels were significantly higher for patients with AN-R than patients with AN-BP. Zinc levels decreased significantly during treatment in cases, compared to controls. ED diagnoses and percent ideal body weight (%IBW) did not appear to predict changes in zinc levels during admission. Conclusions Given zinc’s pervasive roles in metabolism throughout the body as well as common symptoms of deficiency including impaired taste and smell, decreased appetite, and depression, zinc levels could be relevant to the high relapse rate in severe ED. The observed decrease in zinc, which was larger in cases than controls, during refeeding suggests the possibility of a “refeeding hypozincemia” which may present a new therapeutic target. These characteristics make zinc an intriguing focus of future study that could impact the recidivism rate in severe ED. Level of evidence III Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies. |
format | Article |
id | doaj-art-7e5e2a5d99414e7baf3dd1ae7e40d382 |
institution | Kabale University |
issn | 2050-2974 |
language | English |
publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
publisher | BMC |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Eating Disorders |
spelling | doaj-art-7e5e2a5d99414e7baf3dd1ae7e40d3822025-02-09T12:04:06ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742025-02-011311710.1186/s40337-025-01199-wZinc levels in severe eating disordersKara Leach0Dan V. Blalock1Judy Oakes2Melanie Hebert3Marina Foster4Philip S. Mehler5ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition at Denver HealthCenter of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical CenterACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition at Denver HealthACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition at Denver HealthACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition at Denver HealthACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition at Denver HealthAbstract Purpose Severe eating and feeding disorders including Anorexia Nervosa of both restricting (AN-R) and binge-purge (AN-BP) subtypes and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) lead to multiple macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, including zinc, in the setting of inadequate dietary intake. We investigated whether zinc levels correlated with severe malnutrition, with particular subtypes of eating disorders (EDs), and the effect of the refeeding process. Methods This prospective study included 92 adult patients with severe AN or ARFID hospitalized in a medical stabilization unit. Denver Health staff were recruited as controls. Blood samples were drawn within four days of admission and 72 h of discharge. All inferential analyses were performed using general linear models. Results Admission zinc levels were statistically significantly lower in cases compared to controls. Admission zinc levels were significantly higher for patients with AN-R than patients with AN-BP. Zinc levels decreased significantly during treatment in cases, compared to controls. ED diagnoses and percent ideal body weight (%IBW) did not appear to predict changes in zinc levels during admission. Conclusions Given zinc’s pervasive roles in metabolism throughout the body as well as common symptoms of deficiency including impaired taste and smell, decreased appetite, and depression, zinc levels could be relevant to the high relapse rate in severe ED. The observed decrease in zinc, which was larger in cases than controls, during refeeding suggests the possibility of a “refeeding hypozincemia” which may present a new therapeutic target. These characteristics make zinc an intriguing focus of future study that could impact the recidivism rate in severe ED. Level of evidence III Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01199-wZincSevere eating disorderAnorexia nervosaARFIDMalnutrition |
spellingShingle | Kara Leach Dan V. Blalock Judy Oakes Melanie Hebert Marina Foster Philip S. Mehler Zinc levels in severe eating disorders Journal of Eating Disorders Zinc Severe eating disorder Anorexia nervosa ARFID Malnutrition |
title | Zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
title_full | Zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
title_fullStr | Zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
title_full_unstemmed | Zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
title_short | Zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
title_sort | zinc levels in severe eating disorders |
topic | Zinc Severe eating disorder Anorexia nervosa ARFID Malnutrition |
url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01199-w |
work_keys_str_mv | AT karaleach zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders AT danvblalock zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders AT judyoakes zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders AT melaniehebert zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders AT marinafoster zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders AT philipsmehler zinclevelsinsevereeatingdisorders |