Medications as precipitating factors for potential eating disorders: A disproportionality analysis using FDA adverse...

Compared to psychosocial factors, medications remain less well recognized as precipitating factors for eating disorders. This study aims to identify medications potentially associated with eating disorders using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

FAERS reports related to potential eating disorders from January 2004 to December 2024 were retrieved. Reporting odds ratios (RORs) were calculated to detect disproportionate signals, with Fisher's exact test and Bonferroni correction applied for adjustments in multiple comparisons. Drugs exhibiting significant positive signals (ROR 95 % confidence interval lower bound >1, adjusted p-value < 0.01) with over 100 reports were selected for LASSO regression analysis. Logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, and reporter type, was employed to identify precipitating drugs.

Among 20,145 reports, 62.7 % involved females, with a median age of 59 years (interquartile range: 42-71). Thirty drugs showed significant positive signals. Nine potential precipitating medications were identified through LASSO and logistic regression, including octreotide, ribociclib, sunitinib, rivastigmine, everolimus, quetiapine, palbociclib, esomeprazole, and pregabalin.

This study identifies certain medications that may act as precipitating factors for potential eating disorders, particularly in middle-aged and older populations. Clinicians should monitor these medications that affect appetite, weight, or carry abuse potential to prevent harm, especially in patients with eating disorders or at-risk populations.