Weight and Circadian Luteinizing Hormone Secretory Pattern in Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Previous studies established that emaciated women with active primary anorexia nervosa (AN) had immature 24-h luteinizing hormone (LH) secretory patterns. The circadian LH patterns of 8 women with AN who partially or fully recovered their ideal weights were examined. Of the women, 3 were studied before and after weight gain and 5 were studied only after the appearance of binge-eating and consequent weight gain (by history). The adult (mature) circadian LH secretory pattern was not present in women who had partially or totally achieved ideal weight but who otherwise remained symptomatic. Those women who showed both weight gain and normalization of LH pattern were also symptomatically improved in other respects. The degree of immaturity of pattern did not correlate reliably with the duration of illness, the degree of fatness or the extent of deficit from ideal weight. The mode of illness onset and the type of secretory pattern were not related. The return of menses did not show a simple relationship to weight, fatness or maturity of LH pattern.