Biomarkers for anorexia nervosa

Biomarkers for anorexia nervosa (AN) which reflect the pathophysiology and relate to the aetiology of the disease, are warranted and could bring us one step closer to targeted treatment of AN. Some leads may be found in the biochemistry which often is found disturbed in AN, although normalization in many aspects is seen at recovery from undernutrition. Recent genome-wide association studies support that genetic factors play a role in the pathophysiology of AN, of which some are independent of BMI-related mechanisms. In this review, an update on blood-based biomarkers of AN is presented.