Hair endocannabinoid concentrations in individuals with acute and weight-recovered anorexia nervosa
Observational studyHumans
- Design
- Observational study
- Subjects
- 67 underweight female patients with acute anorexia nervosa (47 reassessed after short-term weight restoration), 27 long-term recovered patients and 84 healthy controls
- Dose used in the study
- Not applicable; palmitoylethanolamide was measured in hair, not given
- Duration
- Cross-sectional with a longitudinal reassessment after a BMI increase of at least 14%
- What was measured
- Hair concentrations of anandamide, 2-AG, palmitoylethanolamide, oleoylethanolamide and stearoylethanolamide.
What the authors reported
Anandamide and all endocannabinoid-related compounds, including palmitoylethanolamide, were elevated in acute anorexia and fell with short-term weight restoration. Anandamide stayed elevated in long-term recovered patients, and in recovered patients physical activity correlated positively with all the related compounds.
Limits of this study
An observational study of the body's own PEA in hair; it did not test PEA treatment and cannot show cause. Funding and conflicts not stated in the abstract.
Source
PubMed 33444649 · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110243
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.