Anorexia nervosa depends on adrenal sympathetic hyperactivity: opposite neuroautonomic profile of hyperinsulinism syndrome

Figures & data

Table 1 Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine, platelet-serotonin, and free serotonin blood values, at 0′ (resting), 1′ (orthostasis) and 5′ (post-exercise) in 22 patients with anorexia nervosa and their controls

		0 minutes	1 minutes	5 minutes	P values
					0′ vs 1′	0′ vs 5′	1′ vs 5′
SBP	– AN	152 ± 5	158 ± 3	171 ± 6	0.05*	<0.02*	<0.02*
	– C	123 ± 5	124 ± 6	123 ± 2	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
DBP	– AN	60 ± 3	60 ± 2	61 ± 3	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
	– C	80 ± 4	77 ± 1	75 ± 3	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
HR	– AN	71 ± 3	79 ± 4	83 ± 6	<0.02**	<0.01**	<0.001**
	– C	66 ± 2	67 ± 2	70 ± 4	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
NA	– AN	166 ± 4	169 ± 5	175 ± 5	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
	– C	178 ± 2	202 ± 4	223 ± 5	<0.05*	<0.01**	<0.01**
AD	– AN	52 ± 2	67 ± 3	84 ± 4	<05*	<0.001***	<0.001***
	– C	29 ± 1	32 ± 2	30 ± 2	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
DA	– AN	18 ± 1	21 ± 2	23 ± 2	n.s.	n.s.	<0.05*
	– C	17 ± 2	18 ± 2	19 ± 3	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
p5-HT	– AN	228 ± 19	249 ± 22	225 ± 25	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
	– C	282 ± 21	292 ± 25	276 ± 30	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
f5-HT	– AN	3.2 ± 1	13.7 ± 1	24.5 ± 2	<0.001***	<0.001***	<0.001***
	– C	2.99 ± 1	1.8 ± 1	3.3 ± 1	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.

Notes: Results are expressed as mean ± SEM.

* P < 0.05;

** P < 0.02,

*** P < 0.001. Most decimals were omitted.

Abbreviations: AD, adrenaline (in pg/mL); AN, anorexia nervosa; C, controls; DA, dopamine (in pg/mL); SBP, systolic blood pressure (in mmHg); DBP, diastolic blood pressure (in mmHg); HR, heart rate (in beats/minute) p5-HT, platelet serotonin (in ng/mL); f5-HT, free serotonin (in ng/mL); NA, noradrenaline (pg/mL); n.s., non significant; SEM, standard error of measurement.

Table 2 Significant correlations (r) for physiologic and plasma neurotransmitter parameters at 0 minutes (resting), one minute (orthostasis), and five minutes (post-exercise) in 22 anorexia nervosa patients and their controls

	SBP	DBP	HR	NA	AD	DA	p5-HT	f5-HT
AN 0 min
HR	0.61*
AD	0.66*		0.70*
DA					0.64*
f5-HT			0.70*		0.70*
C 0 min
HR	0.61*
AN 1 min
HR	0.60*
AD	0.60*		0.69**
DA					0.63**
f5-HT			0.60*		0.69*
C 1 min
AD			0.60*
AN 5 min
HR	0.70**
AD	0.75**		0.80***
f5-HT			0.66*		0.68*

* Notes: P < 0.05;

** P < 0.02;

*** P < 0.001.

Abbreviations: SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HR, heart rate; NA, noradrenaline; AD, adrenaline; DA, dopamine; p5-HT, platelet serotonin; f5-HT, free serotonin.