Vitamin D3 as possible diagnostic marker of Eating Disorders
Article Category: Research article
Published Online: Jan 22, 2021
Page range: 24 - 33
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ebtj-2021-0005
Keywords
© 2021 Vanessa La Bella, Giulia Gizzi, Elisabetta Albi, Michela Codini, Simonetta Marucci, Laura Dalla Ragione, Tommaso Beccari, Maria Rachele Ceccarini, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Purpose
Eating Disorders (EDs) refer to a group of psychiatric conditions in which disorderly food intake results in impaired psychological functioning or physical health. Nowadays, these disorders represent an increasing problem in modern society. There are no universally validated clinical parameters to confirm, disprove or simply help to identify EDs except for diagnostic criteria on psychiatric basis. The aim of this study was the assessment of Vitamin D3 level in patients with EDs to understand if it might be a valid clinical biochemistry parameter useful as prognostic marker.
Methods
The sample consists of 28 female patients, who suffer from EDs. Blood samples were examined in terms of blood count, glucose, cholesterol and Vitamin D3 levels. The other clinical biochemistry parameters were analysed to understand if the Vitamin D3 was the only altered parameter.
Results
The parameters that appear altered are glycemia, cholesterol and, in particular, Vitamin D3. Significant results were obtained comparing controls with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa (p value= 0,003) and with purging-type anorexia nervosa (p value= 0,007).
Conclusion
There are currently no universally validated and diagnostic reliable clinical biochemistry parameters for EDs but, in the light of the findings, but our research indicates the potential use of Vitamin D3 as a biomarker for anorexia nervosa.
Level of evidence
Level III: Evidence obtained from a single-center cohort study.