Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39240360›Full record

SynthesisEuropean child & adolescent psychiatry2025

Prevalence of thiamine deficiency in anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Michael O'Brien, Rachael Quirke, Roisin Gowan, Fiona McNicholas

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European child & adolescent psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Michael O'BrienMaudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. michaeljosephobrien@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4703-8279
Rachael QuirkeDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Roisin GowanNational Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, Ireland.
Fiona McNicholasDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Thiamine is an essential vitamin that plays a crucial role in many biochemical processes in the body. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is one potential cause of a state of deficiency which can result in grave medical sequelae. There is limited available evidence of the prevalence of thiamine deficiency in patients who suffer from AN. The current study aimed to systematically review all available evidence on the prevalence of thiamine deficiency in cohorts with AN. Studies were included where thiamine status in a group of participants with AN was measured, either through self-reporting or objective measurement. Eight databases (Scopus, CINAHL complete, Medline complete, EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE, PROSPERO, COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched. PRISMA guidelines were followed. The study was registered on PROSPERO. A minimum of two researchers conducted each part of the review. The search identified 42 articles whose full texts were screened for eligibility, with 17 retained for qualitative synthesis. The prevalence rates of thiamine deficiency in AN varied from 5.9% to 100% when based on self-report dietary intake. When objective measurements were taken, rates ranged from 0% to 56.7%. The review suggested that age, body mass index (BMI), duration of illness and subtype of AN were not associated with thiamine status. The limited available evidence suggested that the use of supplements, prior treatment and higher energy intakes were associated with a reduced risk of developing a thiamine deficiency among individuals with AN. Poor study methodology including small sample size, inconsistent deficiency definition and study heterogeneity limits the conclusions that can be drawn. Ultimately, there is insufficient strength of evidence to draw definitive clinical recommendations. This review highlights the need for further studies with more robust methodology to help further inform clinical practice.

Indexed as

Anorexia NervosaThiamine DeficiencyAdolescentHumansPrevalenceAnorexiaAnorexia nervosaEating disorderSystematic reviewThiamineVitamin B1

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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.