SynthesisThe International journal of eating disorders2016
The medical complications associated with purging.
Synthesis in The International journal of eating disorders, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.
- Body image, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and eating disorders in adults: a systematic review.Neuropsychiatrie : Klinik, Diagnostik, Therapie und Rehabilitation : Organ der Gesellschaft Osterreichischer Nervenarzte und Psychiater · 2025Pooled it
- The Nutrient-Skin Connection: Diagnosing Eating Disorders Through Dermatologic Signs.Nutrients · 2024Pooled it
- Do sex differences in reported weight loss intentions and behaviours persist across demographic characteristics and weight status in youth? A systematic review.BMC public health · 2018Pooled it
- Review
- Disordered Eating Behaviors Among U.S. Children With Neuropsychiatric Conditions: A Nationally Representative Study.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Brain morphology in Anorexia Nervosa and its subtypes: A multi-cohort study of individual participant data.PLoS medicine · 2026Article
- Suicidal Ideation in Adult Women: The Unique Roles of Binging, Purging, and Restricting.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Development of a calorie-based weight prediction equation for Anorexia nervosa: a case report.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Bulimia nervosa severity levels based on shape/weight overvaluation explain more variance in clinical characteristics than DSM-5 severity levels.Psychological medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- The Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Disordered Eating Among Adult Athletes in Italy and Lebanon.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Habitual behavioural control moderates the relation between daily perceived stress and purging.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2025Article
- Body Mass Index Trends for the Top Five Finishers in Men's Grand Tour and Monument Cycling Events from 1994-2023: Implications for Athletes and Sporting Stakeholders.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Course of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Emergence of overvaluation of shape/weight.Journal of eating disorders · 2024Article
- Associations between DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder Criterion E2 endorsement and selected self-destructive behaviors in recent-era veterans: A focus on disordered eating.Journal of traumatic stress · 2023Article
- Weight status is associated with clinical characteristics among individuals with bulimia nervosa.Eating disorders · 2023Article
- Design and methods of the Longitudinal Eating Disorders Assessment Project research consortium for veterans.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2023Article
- Household food insecurity is associated with greater prevalence and 18-month incidence of a range of disordered eating behaviors in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of parents.Eating behaviors · 2023Article
- Assessment and management of cardiovascular complications in eating disorders.Journal of eating disorders · 2023Review
- A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Managing End-Stage Renal Disease in Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Report.Clinical medicine insights. Case reports · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivePurging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and diuretic abuse, are present across many of the eating disorders. Here we review the major medical complications of these behaviors.
methodAlthough we identified over 100 scholarly articles describing medical complications associated with purging, most papers involved case studies or small, uncontrolled samples. Given the limited evidence base, we conducted a qualitative (rather than systematic) review to identify medical complications that have been attributed to purging behaviors.
resultsMedical conditions affecting the teeth, esophagus, gastrointestinal system, kidneys, skin, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal system were identified, with self-induced vomiting causing the most medical complications. DISCUSSION: Purging behavior can be associated with severe medical complications across all body systems. Mental health professionals should refer patients with purging behaviors to medical providers for screening and treatment as needed. The medical work-up for individuals with eating disorders should include a comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood count, and a full body exam including the teeth to prevent severe complications. Medical providers should screen patients for purging behaviors and associated medical complications, even in the absence of an eating disorder diagnosis, to increase the detection of eating disorders. Recognizing the link between purging and medical complications can aid in identifying potential eating disorders, particularly those that often elude detection such as purging disorder.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.