New research indicates that
the eating disorder anorexia nervosa is associated with being an early riser,
unlike many other disorders that tend to be evening-based such as depression,
binge eating disorder and schizophrenia.
The study, which is published in JAMA Network Open and led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH),
in collaboration with University College London and the University of the
Republic in Uruguay, also revealed a link between anorexia nervosa and insomnia
risk.
Previous research has suggested a
possible connection between eating disorders and the body’s internal clock, or
circadian clock, which controls a wide range of biological functions such as
sleep and affects nearly every organ in the body.
This study aimed to further understand
this relationship by assessing genes associated with anorexia nervosa, the
circadian clock and several sleep traits including insomnia.
The investigators used a statistical
method called Mendelian Randomization to see how genes that are associated with
a certain trait affect other traits of interest. For example, examining the
sleep patterns of people with genetic differences that makes them more likely
to have anorexia nervosa, this provides evidence on the relationship between
anorexia nervosa and sleep.
They found a two-way association between
genes associated with anorexia nervosa and genes associated with morning
chronotype (waking early and going to bed early).
In other words, the findings suggest
that being an early riser could increase the risk for having anorexia nervosa,
and having anorexia nervosa could lead to an earlier wake time. The team also
found an association between anorexia nervosa and insomnia.
When they further assessed the insomnia
connection using the Mass General Brigham Biobank by developing a “genetic risk score” for
anorexia nervosa, the scientists found that the genetic risk score was indeed
associated with higher insomnia risk.
“Our findings implicate anorexia nervosa
as a morning disorder in contrast to most other evening-based psychiatric
diseases and support the association between anorexia nervosa and insomnia as
seen in earlier studies,” says senior author Hassan S Dashti, PhD, RD, an assistant investigator in the Department of
Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at MGH and an assistant professor
of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.
Treatments for anorexia nervosa are
limited and current treatments have relapse rates of up to 52%. In addition,
the cause of the disease is still unclear.
With anorexia nervosa having the second
highest mortality rate of psychiatric diseases, more research is desperately
needed into new prevention strategies and treatments.
“The clinical implications of our new
findings are currently unclear; however, our results could direct future
investigations into circadian-based therapies for anorexia nervosa prevention
and treatment,” says Hannah Wilcox, lead author of the study and researcher at
MGH.
Source: https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/study-reveals-new-link-between-anorexa-early-rising
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