Study of anorexia nervosa

18 women suffering from nervous anorexia were studied. The onset of the disease was before the age of 25 years in all patients. The loss of body mass was between 25% and 40%, mean 32%. The onset of the disease was preceded by psychic trauma, negative attitude toward eating, in some cases there had been periods of bulimia, use of purgatives and diuretics. All patients had amenorrhea. In 44.44% of the patients hypercholesterolemia was found, in 72.80%-hypertriglyceridemia, in 54.54%--increased somatotropic hormone level, in 54.54%--increased ACTH level, in 72.80%, decrease of follicle-stimulating hormone level, in 81.80%--decrease of the luteinizing hormone, in 81.80%--decrease of triiodothyronine (T3), in 81.80%--decrease of estradiol and in 81.80%--increase of testosterone were found. The deviations found in the patients with nervous anorexia are considered as manifestations of chronic food deficiency and they disappear after regaining the normal body mass.