Why does anorexia cause cardiac problems?

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Why does anorexia cause heart problems?

In order to work properly, the heart requires adequate amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and other electrolytes in a certain balance. If these components are not present in the required amounts the electrical activity of the heart is interrupted. This is what happened to the 70's singer, Karen Carpenter. She had anorexia and did not take in enough food to supply her heart with what it needed and she died from a cardiac arrest. Her heart just stopped beating because it had no more fuel on which to run.

Anorexia also destroys the other organs in the body and the muscles as well because the body thinks it is being starved to death, which it actually is, and begins to feed off of itself. Other people have gone into kidney failure and required dialysis for what time they lived after that; some people have messed up their intestines to the point where they will never work the same again.

Anorexia is very dangerous. It is a compulsion and requires professional intervention. If you are the anorexic, please get help for yourself! You are worth so much more than just starving yourself to death for what you think is an attractive body image.

Lynn, RN

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First answer by Lakotasue. Last edit by Lakotasue. Contributor trust: 84 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 22 [recommend question]