Prozac May Be First Effective Drug Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa -- Study

PITTSBURGH, May 21, 1997 --

Prozac may be effective in helping people with anorexia nervosa maintain healthy body weight, according to study results presented today by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) researchers at the 1997 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in San Diego.

The UPMC study is the first to suggest that an antidepressant may prevent a relapse into anorexia, said the study's principal investigator, Walter H. Kaye, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the UPMC's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Anorexia nervosa is the most deadly psychiatric disorder. There is no medication currently approved to treat it. Patients with anorexia nervosa starve themselves in a relentless pursuit of weight loss and have accompanying symptoms like depression, anxiety, obsessions and compulsions. Research shows that these symptoms may be linked to disturbances in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and appetite.

Prozac may work by stabilizing serotonin systems in the brain, correcting the changes in brain function responsible for many of the disorder's symptoms.

In their study, Dr. Kaye and his colleagues followed for one year 35 outpatients who were discharged from the hospital after they recovered a significant amount of their body weight. Prozac was prescribed for 16 of the patients while the remainder took a placebo. Among the patients on Prozac, 10 of 16 did not relapse and maintained a healthy body weight while only three out of 19 on placebo were successful.

"We're excited by these results," Dr. Kaye said. "But we still have a long way to go. Anorexia nervosa is a chronic and dangerous disorder. For the medicine to be effective, patients must first get to a healthy body weight. If they are malnourished, their serotonin system may be unresponsive to medication."

"Serotonin comes from tryptophan, an amino acid which can only be obtained in the diet," Dr. Kaye explained. "Often, the only way to help them return to a healthy body weight is through structured inpatient treatment. Once patients have a healthy body weight, a medication that helps them maintain it outside of the hospital and prevent relapse may ultimately save lives."

This is the second eating disorder for which Prozac may be effective. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for use in the treatment of bulimia nervosa