CHICAGO, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Malnutrition caused by from anorexia may cause emphysema, according to research shared Wednesday at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
For the first time, researchers used a new method of assessing computed tomography scans to analyze the lungs of anorexic patients and found malnutrition changes the physical structure of the lung.
"There is a reduction in the amount of lung tissue in patients with anorexia nervosa," said Harvey O. Coxson, lead author of the study from Vancouver General Hospital in Canada.
"It is unclear whether these structural changes are permanent," he said, "but if they are, early therapy is important in patients who have anorexia."
Anorexia nervosa, which primarily affects young women, is an eating disorder characterized by voluntary starvation. The National Institute of Mental Health reports between 0.5 and 3.7 percent of female Americans will suffer from anorexia during their lifetime.
Eighty-six percent of patients report disease onset before age 20. In severe cases, the lack of nourishment to the body can result in serious heart, kidney and liver damage.
