Curr Psychiatry Rep (2013) 15:423 DOI 10.1007/s11920-013-0423-y
EATING DISORDERS (AS KAPLAN, SECTION EDITOR)
Genetics of Eating Disorders Anke Hinney & Anna-Lena Volckmar
Published online: 8 November 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract Disordered eating behavior is the core symptom of the complex disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Twin and family studies derive high heritability estimates. Hence, substantial genetic influences on the etiology can be assumed for both. Initially, candidate gene studies pertaining to the monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and to body weight regulation comprised the core of the genetic analyses. Unfortunately, confirmed, solid findings substantiated in meta-analyses are rare, so that eventually none of these associations is unequivocal. Thus, systematic, genome-wide approaches emerged to identify genes with no a priori evidence for their involvement in eating disorders. Genome-wide association studies have hinted to formerly unknown genetic regions. However, significant genome-wide findings have not yet been reported.
DSM-IV, BED was only included in the research criteria; only the recently published DSM-5 lists BED as an eating disorder. Eating disorders are relatively infrequent (AN: 0.5–3.0 %; BN: 1–3 %; BED: 2–4 % [3–5]). Clinical and epidemiologic studies have shown crossover from AN to BN (8–55 %), and from BN to AN (4–27 %), typically within the first 5 years of illness [6], as well as for BED (4–45 %; [7, 8]). These findings suggest an overlap of the etiology of these disorders. AN is a severe, potentially life-threatening psychiatric and nutritional disorder that typically manifests during late childhood and adolescence. This eating disorder affects females ten times more often than males; lifetime prevalence rates in females are 2.2 % for full-blown AN and 2.6 % for partial and atypical forms [9].
Keywords 5-HT2A receptor gene . Melanocortin 4 receptor gene . Genome-wide association studies . GWAS . Eating disorders . Psychiatry
Heritability in Twin and Other Family Studies
Introduction To define the eating disorders anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [1, www.dsm5.org] and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems [2] are commonly used. Our review will focus on AN and BN. In This article is part of the Topical Collection on Eating Disorders A. Hinney (*) : A.
EATING DISORDERS (AS KAPLAN, SECTION EDITOR)
Genetics of Eating Disorders Anke Hinney & Anna-Lena Volckmar
Published online: 8 November 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract Disordered eating behavior is the core symptom of the complex disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Twin and family studies derive high heritability estimates. Hence, substantial genetic influences on the etiology can be assumed for both. Initially, candidate gene studies pertaining to the monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and to body weight regulation comprised the core of the genetic analyses. Unfortunately, confirmed, solid findings substantiated in meta-analyses are rare, so that eventually none of these associations is unequivocal. Thus, systematic, genome-wide approaches emerged to identify genes with no a priori evidence for their involvement in eating disorders. Genome-wide association studies have hinted to formerly unknown genetic regions. However, significant genome-wide findings have not yet been reported.
DSM-IV, BED was only included in the research criteria; only the recently published DSM-5 lists BED as an eating disorder. Eating disorders are relatively infrequent (AN: 0.5–3.0 %; BN: 1–3 %; BED: 2–4 % [3–5]). Clinical and epidemiologic studies have shown crossover from AN to BN (8–55 %), and from BN to AN (4–27 %), typically within the first 5 years of illness [6], as well as for BED (4–45 %; [7, 8]). These findings suggest an overlap of the etiology of these disorders. AN is a severe, potentially life-threatening psychiatric and nutritional disorder that typically manifests during late childhood and adolescence. This eating disorder affects females ten times more often than males; lifetime prevalence rates in females are 2.2 % for full-blown AN and 2.6 % for partial and atypical forms [9].
Keywords 5-HT2A receptor gene . Melanocortin 4 receptor gene . Genome-wide association studies . GWAS . Eating disorders . Psychiatry
Heritability in Twin and Other Family Studies
Introduction To define the eating disorders anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [1, www.dsm5.org] and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems [2] are commonly used. Our review will focus on AN and BN. In This article is part of the Topical Collection on Eating Disorders A. Hinney (*) : A.
