Lifetime co-morbidity with different subtypes of eating disorders in 148 females with bipolar disorders

To evaluate the impact of Eating Disorders (EDs) lifetime co-morbidity among female with Bipolar Disorders (BDs) and to compare clinical and cognitive features among EDs subgroups.

A hundred and forty eight women with a lifetime history of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)-defined Bipolar-I, Bipolar-II and/or Cyclothymia, were consecutively enrolled to determinate the prevalence of co-morbid DSM-IV-defined Anorexia Nervosa [AN], Bulimia Nervosa [BN] or Binge Eating Disorder [BED]. Measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) rating scale, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and BMI record.

Forty six patients (31%) reported lifetime history of at least one ED: AN was the most common ED (n=23, 15.5%), followed by BED (n=21, 14.2%), and BN (n=8, 5.4%); 6 patients (4.1%) reported multiple lifetime EDs. As expected, BMI was highest in BED patients and lowest in those with AN. Clinical characteristics were similar in the 3 groups, while rapid cycling and co-morbid drug abuse were more common in BED compared to AN or No-ED group. As expected cognitive eating symptoms assessed by the EDE-Q were all more represented in AN than in No-ED patients. AN and BED only differed in restricting behavior and weight concerns.

Our results prompt for the recognition of co-morbid EDs among bipolar patients, indicating that BED, along with other EDs, may influence in different ways both clinical characteristics and course of the illness. Further perspective studies are necessary to better define the relationships between different EDs and Bipolar Spectrum disorders.