What tests are used to diagnose or assess anorexia?

What tests are used to diagnose or assess anorexia?

Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose anorexia, a healthcare provider may use various diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, to rule out any medical conditions that could cause weight loss and to evaluate the physical damage weight loss and starvation may have caused.

Tests to rule out weight-loss causing illness or to assess anorexia side effects may include:

• Complete blood count to assess overall health.
• An electrolyte blood panel to check for dehydration and your blood’s acid-base balance.
• Albumin blood test to check for liver health and nutrient deficiency.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check heart health.
• Urinalysis to check for a wide range of conditions.
• Bone density test to check for weak bones (osteoporosis).
• Kidney function tests.
• Liver function tests.
• Thyroid function tests.
• Vitamin D levels.
• A pregnancy test in people assigned female at birth who are of childbearing age.
• Hormone tests if evidence of menstrual problems in people assigned female at birth (to rule out other causes) and measuring testosterone in people assigned male at birth.