14th February 2025

A 54-year-old patient has a history of anorexia nervosa since her teens.

A 54-year-old patient has a history of anorexia nervosa since her teens. She has experienced many complications from the disorder, including osteoporosis, cardiomyopathy, and infertility.

She attends her community Eating Disorder clinic for her regular bloods:

Haemoglobin 89 g/L (130-180)

White Cell Count 3.2 x10⁹/L (3.6-11)

Neutrophils 1.6 x10⁹/L (1.8-7.5)

Platelet Count 120 x10⁹/L (140-400)

Sodium 136 mmol/L (135-145)

Potassium 4.2 mmol/L (3.5-5.3)

Urea 10 mmol/L (2.5-7.8)

Creatinine 45 micromol/L (59-104)

eGFR 84

TSH 2.9 mU/L² (0.4-4)

Free T4 10.9 pmol/L (9-24)

An ECG is also performed: Sinus rhythm, HR 54 bpm, QTc 480 ms (<470 ms in women)

Which type of complication is the most common cause of death in anorexia nervosa?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.