Signs and symptoms
Current consensus is that atypical anorexia patients are at risk for the same medical complications of anorexia nervosa.Evidence from a study conducted at the University of California San Francisco Eating Disorders Program suggests that atypical anorexia patients are equally likely as anorexia nervosa patients to develop secondary side effects, including bradycardia (decreased heart rate), amenorrhea (stopping of the menstrual period), and electrolyte imbalances. Treatment
Treatment for atypical anorexia is very similar to treatment for anorexia nervosa. Increasing calorie intake to a healthy amount is a crucial part of treatment, but patients with severe atypical anorexia are at risk for refeeding syndrome during early recovery, so it is recommended that they are treated in an inpatient facility and slowly adjusted to increased calorie intake by 100-200 additional calories per day. Treatment may also include a variety of therapies that help a patient deal with the depression, anxiety, and other mental symptoms that arise from the eating disorder.In the US, treatment may be complicated by the need to get health insurance plans to pay. Medical coding may be incorrect on requests or may be rejected because payers incorrectly evaluated it under the separate criteria for anorexia nervosa. Epidemiology
It is difficult to gauge the true prevalence of atypical anorexia pre-2013 because patients were lumped together under the EDNOS diagnosis. Evidence suggests that atypical anorexia is more prevalent than anorexia nervosa, but individuals experiencing it are less likely to receive care.
It is a combination of three medical conditions: hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count. Eclampsia
This is when tonic-clonic seizures appear in a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and proteinuria.Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are sometimes treated as components of a common syndrome. Treatment
There is no specific treatment, but is monitored closely to rapidly identify pre-eclampsia and its life-threatening complications (HELLP syndrome and eclampsia).Drug treatment options are limited, as many antihypertensives may negatively affect the fetus. Methyldopa, hydralazine, and labetalol are most commonly used for severe pregnancy hypertension.The fetus is at increased risk for a variety of life-threatening conditions, including pulmonary hypoplasia (immature lungs). If the dangerous complications appear after the fetus has reached a point of viability, even though still immature, then an early delivery may be warranted to save the lives of both mother and baby. An appropriate plan for labor and delivery includes selection of a hospital with provisions for advanced life support of newborn babies. Evolutionary considerations
Humans
Gestational hypertension is one of the most common disorders seen in human pregnancies. Though relatively benign on its own, in roughly half of the cases of gestational hypertension the disorder progresses into pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition that can prove fatal to expectant mothers. However, gestational hypertension is a condition that is fairly rare to see in other animals.