To determine the frequency of hyponatremia at admission and compare specific medical findings (e.g., BMI, disease duration) between patients with normonatremia and hyponatremia.
Key Findings:
13% of patients (n=17) had hyponatremia at admission.
Hyponatremia was associated with lower BMI, lower nadir BMI, longer disease duration, and an adverse biochemical profile.
Hyponatremia was associated with mortality in unadjusted analysis (OR 8.03, 95% CI 2.29–28.16) but not after multivariable adjustment.
Interpretation:
Hyponatremia in patients with anorexia nervosa correlates with more severe and longstanding illness, indicating that overall illness severity is a more significant determinant of hyponatremia and mortality risk than purging behaviors.
Limitations:
Retrospective design may limit causal inferences, potentially affecting the reliability of the findings.
Sample size may not be representative of all anorexia nervosa patients, limiting generalizability.
Conclusion:
Hyponatremia is prevalent among patients with severe anorexia nervosa and is linked to indicators of illness severity.
