QTc Interval Prolongation and Its Association With Electrolyte Abnormalities and Psychotropic Drug Use Among Patients With Eating Disorders

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, often develop during adolescence and have high mortality rates. Sudden cardiac death in these patients has been associated with QTc interval prolongation which can generate fatal arrhythmias, including torsades de pointes. The mechanism and significance of extrinsic, rather than intrinsic, factors on QTc interval prolongation in eating disorder populations remain controversial. This study aimed to assess the relationship between QTc prolongation in pediatric eating disorder patients and extrinsic factors, such as known QTc-prolonging medications and electrolyte abnormalities to investigate whether the presence of an eating disorder alone is associated with an increased prevalence of QTc prolongation.