Abstract
Introduction:
Anorexia nervosa is a common eating disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of 0,8-6,3% in women and 0,1-0,3% in men. Recently, increasing literature has emerged on insights regarding the gastrointestinal microbiome in these patients. Scientific studies suggest a potential link between the composition of this microbiome and psychological traits such as body dissatisfaction, as well as the influence of this composition on weight evolution.
Objectives:
This systematic literature review aims to present the available information on the gastrointestinal microbiome in patients with anorexia nervosa. Based on these findings, future research may focus on potentially externally modulating the gastrointestinal microbiome to enhance treatment and/or weight gain.
Methodology:
The articles included in this literature review were obtained by consulting scientific databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar). Out of the 1.189 resulting articles, a selection procedure led to the inclusion of fourteen articles in this review.
Results:
This literature review shows that the gastrointestinal microbiome of patients with anorexia nervosa at the time of diagnosis exhibits reduced richness (Chao1 index, alpha diversity) and an altered composition (beta diversity) compared to healthy individuals. After treatment, alpha-diversity seems to be increased. The microbiome composition evolves but does not normalize after treatment. The altered microbiome composition appears to have significant implications regarding weight gain.
Conclusion:
This literature review highlights a clear deviation in both the composition and richness of the gastrointestinal microbiome in patients with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy individuals. External modulation of the microbiome offers a potential complementary therapeutic approach for these patients.