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Anorexia nervosa: diagnostic, therapeutic, and risk biomarkers in clinical practice
Hubertus Himmerich1, Janet Treasure1
1Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Abstract:
In anorexia nervosa (AN), measurable biological parameters can inform the process of treating patients. Such biomarkers include established laboratory parameters as well as a range of potential future biomarkers, including genetic, metabolomic, microbiomic, endocrine, immunological, hematological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging parameters. In this opinion article we discuss how these biomarkers can support diagnosic and therapeutic processes at specific steps during the AN treatment cycle, that is, the diagnosis, diagnostic specification, risk management, choice of therapy, therapy monitoring, and treatment review. History-taking, physical and neuropsychological examination, clinical observation, and judgment about treatment success by the patient, their carers, and members of the multidisciplinary team are essential to interpret laboratory and imaging data appropriately and to assess the full clinical picture.
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