Although anorexia nervosa wreaks havoc on most major organ systems of the body, the most life-threatening injury is done to the heart. Cardiovascular complications start with the loss of heart muscle, leading to abnormal heart rhythms and low blood pressure. As the emaciated body loses muscle, the heart muscle loses mass and complications such as bradycardia and hypotension arise. Brown and Mehler (2015) have observed, “bradycardia (pulse <60) and hypotension are among the most common physical findings in patients with anorexia nervosa, with bradycardia seen in up to 95% of patients” (p. 16). Bradycardia is a condition where the heart beats abnormally slow, while hypotension is low blood pressure and both occur when the individual has a weak
