Persistence of Nutritional Deficiencies after Short-term Weight Recovery in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa Josefina Castro, 1 * Ramo ´ n Deulofeu, 2 Araceli Gila, 1 Josefina Puig, 1 and Josep Toro 1 1 Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clı ´nic Universitari Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Spain 2 Department of Clinical Chemistry, CDB (Centre de Diagnostic Biome `dic), IDIBAPS (Institute de Investigacio ´ Biome `dica August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clı ´nic Universitari, Barcelona, Spain Accepted 14 April 2003 Abstract: Objectives: To study nutritional abnormalities in adolescent anorexia nervosa and to establish whether certain abnormalities persist after short-term refeeding. Method: Sixty- one patients (10–19 years old) admitted to a reference unit for eating disorders between 1999 and 2000 with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were evaluated at admission and at dis- charge. A range of biochemical, nutritional, and hormonal parameters were determined. Results: At admission, no protein or lipid deficiencies were found, although many patients presented with hormonal abnormalities and red blood cell folate and zinc deficiencies. Hormonal abnormalities reverted significantly (p < .000) after renutrition. There were decreases in erythrocytes and in levels of hemoglobin (p < .000) and folic acid (p < .05). Red blood cell folate and zinc increased but did not reach normal levels. Conclusions: In a large proportion of adolescent anorexic patients, supplementation of folic acid and zinc is recommended although protein or hormonal replacement does not seem to be necessary. # 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 35: 169–178, 2004. Key words: nutritional deficiencies; anorexia nervosa; adolescents INTRODUCTION Malnutrition in anorexia nervosa patients can be severe but assessment of nutritional status yielded inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results. This may be due to hetero- geneity in age and the duration of the disorder or to the small sample size in some studies (Langan & Farrell, 1985; Rock & Curran-Celentano, 1994; Rock & Vasantharajan, 1995; Van Binsbergen, Coelingh Bennink, Odink, Haspels, & Koppeschaar, 1990). Among the features *Correspondence to: Josefina Castro, M.D., Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clı ´nic Universitari, Sabino de Arana, 1, Barcelona 08028, Spain. E-mail: jcastro@clinic.ub.es Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/eat.10249 # 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.