Objective: To determine the incidence and characteristics. of chest pain in
patients with anorexia nervosa. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 54 pat
ients. A pain history according to a diagnostic algorithm that was construc
ted from a Medline search (1966-1996) was used. Results: Eighty-seven perce
nt of patients had experienced chest pain. The most common diagnosis was id
iopathic, occurring in 38% of participants. The incidence of typical and at
ypical angina was 11% and 9%, respectively. Increasing age, smoking history
, and a family history of chest pain were more common in those with the aty
pical or typical angina. Conclusions: Chest pain is a common symptom in pat
ients with eating disorders, and the incidence of typical and atypical angi
na is surprisingly high. All patients with eating disorders should be scree
ned for chest pain and other risk factors for coronary heart disease. (C) 1
999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.