Genetic link between early rising and anorexia revealed

New research suggests that early birds face a greater risk of developing anorexia nervosa — and those who have the eating disorder may end up becoming early risers.

Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, in collaboration with researchers from the University College London and the University of the Republic in Uruguay, studied the genes associated with anorexia nervosa, a person’s 24-hour biological clock, and sleep patterns.

They used a statistical method to calculate a “genetic risk score” for anorexia nervosa that they say is associated with a higher insomnia risk. Their study was published Thursday in JAMA Network Open.

“Our findings implicate anorexia nervosa as a morning disorder in contrast to most other evening-based psychiatric diseases and support the association between anorexia nervosa and insomnia as seen in earlier studies,” senior study author Hassan S. Dashti said in a statement.

About 25% of Americans each year experience acute insomnia, which is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep for at least three nights a week for two consecutive weeks.

For most people, it doesn’t develop into a chronic sleep problem, research has found.

Anorexia nervosa, meanwhile, is a potentially life-threatening mental health condition characterized by weight loss or low weight gain, food restriction and body dissatisfaction.

It has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder.

One recent study found that during their lifetime, up to 4% of women and 0.3% of men will suffer from anorexia nervosa.

The highest incidence rate for women is around the age of 15.

The cause of the disease is still unknown.

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers noted that the limited treatment options for anorexia nervosa have relapse rates up to 52%.

Recent research found magic mushrooms to be a well-tolerated therapeutic, with users reporting positive changes three months after dosing.

“The clinical implications of our new findings are currently unclear; however, our results could direct future investigations into circadian-based therapies for anorexia nervosa prevention and treatment,” said Hannah Wilcox, lead author of the sleep study and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.