Risk factors for elevated liver enzymes during refeeding of severely malnourished patients with eating disorders: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: There are few previous reports regarding the cause and evolution of liver injury in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) during the refeeding process, and its management remains controversial. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for elevated liver enzymes during refeeding and their effect on the therapeutic process in severely malnourished patients with eating disorders. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study of 167 female inpatients in a single hospital from January 2004 to March 2015, 67 who had normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels on admission were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of elevated ALT levels during refeeding, and then compared. RESULTS: The median age and body mass index (BMI) of the patients on admission were 22 [interquartile range (IQR), 16–33] years and 12.2 (IQR, 11.1–13.0) kg/m(2), respectively. Compared with their cohorts, significantly more patients in the early onset age group (<15 years old) had elevated ALT levels during refeeding (67% vs. 33%, p = 0.033), as did patients with longer median time to nadir BMI (3.0 vs. 0 days, p = 0.03). In addition, onset age [odds ratio (OR): 0.274; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.077–0.981; p = 0.047] and time to nadir BMI (OR: 1.271; 95% CI: 1.035–1.56; p = 0.022) were significantly associated with the odds of elevated ALT levels during refeeding. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that early age at onset may be a potential risk factor for elevated ALT levels during refeeding in severely malnourished patients with eating disorders. Furthermore, elevated ALT levels during refeeding were significantly associated with delay in the start of weight gain. No significant relationship was found between the amount of initial prescribed calories and elevated ALT levels during refeeding. The median time to maximum ALT was 27 (IQR, 21–38) days after the refeeding process started. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40337-016-0127-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.