부산대학교 도서관

Objective: This study examined the thyroxine (T4) and free T4 (FT4) status of women with bulimia nervosa and its value as a predictor of outcome. Method: A total of 135 women with bulimia nervosa underwent 12-weeks cognitive behavioral therapy treatment. Prior to and at 3-year follow-up patients completed psychiatric assessments and serumT4 and FT4 were measured. Results: At 3-year follow-up, 71% had no eating disorder and 29% met criteria for any eating disorder diagnosis. Mean T4 and FT4 concentrations were within normal ranges. Pre-treatment T4 and FT4 concentrations were inversely associated with food restriction and purging frequency, respectively. Compared with women with no eating disorder, those with any eating disorder at follow-up had lower pretreatment T4 concentrations. When pre-treatment food restriction, oral contraceptive use and binge frequency where controlled for, low T4 concentration was the only predictor of eating disorder diagnosis at follow-up. Conclusion: Low T4 concentrations at pretreatment may be a predictor of poor outcome in bulimia nervosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]