Condition

Anorexia nervosa

Clinical trials and treatment information for Anorexia nervosa

3.7M
People Affected
15
Active Trials
148K
New Cases/Year
231
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
85% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 95% Safety• 27 trials• 5K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 15-20 sessions over 6-12 months
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

3-6 months

Duration

6-12 months

Response Rate

70%

Remission Rate

50%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

3

Common Side Effects:

Increased family conflict/stress: 20%
Parental burden: 25%
Patient resistance: 15%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$4,500

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$4,500

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

1.2

ICER

$25,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$9,000

Cost per Responder

$6,428

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Body Mass Index (BMI)16.0 kg/m²
+20% (+3.2 kg/m²)
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) Global Score4.5/6
-40% (-1.8 points)
Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) Global Score25/40
-40% (-10 points)
Secondary Benefits
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Score15/27
-40% (-6 points)
Family Assessment Device (FAD) - General Functioning Subscale Score2.8/4
-17.86% (-0.5 points)
EuroQol-5D Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) Score50/100
+40% (+20 points)
Common Side Effects
Increased family conflict/stress
+20%
Parental burden
+25%
Patient resistance
+15%
2
Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E)
75% Effectiveness• 80% Confidence• 95% Safety• 8 trials• 4K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: 20-40 sessions over 4-12 months
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

3-6 months

Duration

4-12 months

Response Rate

60%

Remission Rate

40%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

4

Common Side Effects:

Distress during sessions: 10%
Temporary increase in anxiety: 10%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$6,900

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$6,900

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

1

ICER

$40,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$17,250

Cost per Responder

$11,500

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Body Mass Index (BMI)14.5 kg/m²
+31% (+4.5 kg/m²)
Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) Global Score4.5/6 points
-55.6% (-2.5 points)
EDE-Q Shape Concern Score5.0/6 points
-60% (-3.0 points)
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) Score30/63 points
-50% (-15 points)
Secondary Benefits
EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)40/100 points
+50% (+20 points)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Score15/21 points
-53.3% (-8 points)
Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) Score25/40 points
-40% (-10 points)
Common Side Effects
Distress during sessions
+10%
Temporary increase in anxiety
+10%
3
Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
70% Effectiveness• 75% Confidence• 95% Safety• 10 trials• 1.5K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: 20-40 sessions over 8-12 months
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

4-8 months

Duration

8-12 months

Response Rate

55%

Remission Rate

35%

Common Side Effects:

Distress during sessions: 5%
Temporary anxiety: 5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$5,400

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$5,400

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.9

ICER

$35,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$15,428

Cost per Responder

$9,818

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+70%
Response Rate
+55%
Remission Rate
+35%
Common Side Effects
Distress during sessions
+5%
Temporary anxiety
+5%
4
Adolescent-Focused Psychotherapy (AFP)
65% Effectiveness• 70% Confidence• 95% Safety• 5 trials• 800 participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: 40-50 sessions over 12-18 months
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

6-12 months

Duration

12-18 months

Response Rate

45%

Remission Rate

30%

Common Side Effects:

Distress during sessions: 10%
Temporary increase in anxiety: 5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$9,900

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$9,900

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.8

ICER

$50,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$33,000

Cost per Responder

$22,000

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+65%
Response Rate
+45%
Remission Rate
+30%
Common Side Effects
Distress during sessions
+10%
Temporary increase in anxiety
+5%
5
Olanzapine
45% Effectiveness• 60% Confidence• 40% Safety• 9 trials• 1K participants
LOW EvidencePoor ValueDose: 2.5-10 mg daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
40
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

2-3 months

Duration

3-6 months

Response Rate

35%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

7

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

7

Common Side Effects:

Weight gain: 40%
Sedation: 30%
Increased appetite: 25%
Metabolic syndrome: 15%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$900

Monitoring

$700

Side Effects

$700

Total Annual

$2,300

Cost-Effectiveness

POOR

QALYs Gained

0.2

Cost per Responder

$6,571

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Body Mass Index (BMI)16.0 kg/m^2
+7.5% (+1.2 kg/m^2)
Weight40 kg
+10% (+4.0 kg)
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) Global ScoreEDE-Q Global Score: 4.5/6
-17.8% (-0.8 points)
Anxiety Symptoms (HAM-A Score)HAM-A score: 25/56
-32% (-8 points)
Secondary Benefits
Depressive Symptoms (HAM-D Score)HAM-D score: 20/52
-30% (-6 points)
Body Image Concerns (BSQ Score)BSQ score: 150/204
-16.7% (-25 points)
Quality of Life (Generic Scale)Quality of Life (0-100 scale): 40
+25% (+10 points)
Common Side Effects
Weight gain
+40%
Sedation
+30%
Increased appetite
+25%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4