A 37-year-old member asked:
can anorexia cause development of edema and right-heart failure?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Nikolaos Zacharias answered
Maternal-Fetal Medicine 26 years experience
Anorexia nervosa can: Anorexia nervosa is a potentially lethal psychiatric condition that can lead to heart failure - absolutely! prompt medical and psychiatric evaluation is warranted.
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Dr. Brad Bobrin answered
Psychiatry 26 years experience
Its complicqted: The most common cause of right heart failure is left heart failure. For anorexia to cause heart failure it would have to cause some damage to the myocardium which could come from use of ipicac or severe nutritional defficiency over time. Anorexia is more likely to cause edema due to long standing protein malnutrition. Overall this would be a very sick person over a long time.
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Last updated Feb 13, 2013
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