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Bulimia Nervosa and Substance Dependence: Association and Family Transmission
Author(s) -
Kaye Walter H.,
Lilenfeld Lisa R.,
Plotnicov Katherine,
Merikangas Kathleen R.,
Nagy Linda,
Strober Michael,
Bulik Cynthia M.,
Moss Howard,
Greeno Catherine G.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05266.x
Subject(s) - proband , bulimia nervosa , substance use , alcohol dependence , substance dependence , eating disorders , drug , medicine , psychiatry , alcohol , demography , chemistry , genetics , biology , sociology , biochemistry , gene , mutation
Alcohol and drug use disorders are common among women with bulimia newosa (BN) and their family members. However, it is not known whether there is a familial relationship between BN and substance use disorders. We compared 47 women with BN and 44 non‐eating‐disordered community control women, and their first‐degree relatives (177 and 190, respectively). BN probands were stratified by the presence (43%) or absence (57%) of lifetime alcohol and/or drug dependence. The first‐degree relatives of substance‐dependent BN probands had significantly higher lifetime rates of alcohoWdrug dependence (38%), compared with relatives of nonsubstance‐depen‐dent BN probands (10%) or relatives of community controls (18%). These data suggest that BN and substance dependence are transmitted independently in families.