OBJECTIVE

Hypercholesterolemia is common in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) despite emaciation. The objective of this study was to clarify the mechanism of hypercholesterolemia in AN.

METHODS

We measured serum lipids in 39 patients with AN and analyzed serum lipid profiles in the 24 patients in comparison with five age-matched controls.

RESULTS

Mean serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ketone bodies, apolipoprotein (apo)-A1, B, C2, C3, E, and cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) activity were significantly higher in patients with AN than in controls. No significant difference in serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels was observed between patients with AN and controls. CETP was accelerated in patients with AN with hypercholesterolemia. No correlation was apparent between serum levels of cholesterol and thyroid hormones.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum levels of cholesterol, CETP, and apolipoproteins decreased after weight gain, indicating that cholesterol metabolism is accelerated in patients with AN with normal serum levels of FFA.