Predictors of recovery of ovarian function during weight gain in anorexia nervosa

Objective: To investigate whether serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) can be used as predictors of recovery of ovarian function in anorexia nervosa after weight gain. Design: Follow-up cohort study. Setting: Two specialized treatment centers for eating disorders, one for adolescents (aged between 12 and 17 years) and one for adults (older than the age of 17 years). Patient(s): Sixty-one young women (mean age, 18.2 years) with anorexia nervosa. Intervention(s): None (standard treatment program). Main Outcome Measure(s): Time to recovery of menses. Result(s): Forty-two (69%) patients recovered in weight within the 1st year, of which only 24 (39%) reached resumption of regular menstrual cycles. Next to weight gain itself, initial ovarian endocrine markers such as FSH, inhibin B, and AMH hormone were capable of predicting chances for resumption of menses in a multivariate analysis with time to recovery as the main outcome measure. Conclusion(s): Initial ovarian endocrine markers FSH, inhibin B, and AMH can predict successful recovery of ovarian function in anorexia nervosa patients undergoing treatment to gain weight.