I have had bulimia and anorexia, mostly bulimia though. I am being evaluated for a pacemaker, I also have right sided heart failure as a direct result of the eating disorder.
I am a mental health professional who treats eating disorders- I have had several clients develop heart problems as a result, several have had heart attacks. I have seen this mostly with bulimia, though some with anorexia. I have not seen this with overeaters- this is just my particular experience though.
I never had an eating disorder per say, but years ago during a hard time with my Ex-husband, I didn't eat much and when I did, I only ate things like rice and ham. I lost 39 pounds in 5 weeks and woke up one morning with my heart beating all over the place and was rushed to the ER.
Long story short, I was told I was close to joining Karen Carpenter. Karen died from "heartbeat irregularities brought on by chemical (electrolyte) imbalances associated with anorexia nervosa." I never did that again. After awhile, anorexia and bulimia can cause serious and sometimes permanant heart weakening, arrhythmia's and damage that can't be fixed.
i used to think my svt was down to my past eating disorders but in my case no.........so ditto all the above,electrolyte imbalance can cause many symptoms including heart related.
Eating disorders can impact all of the body's organs. As an example, a person with an eating disorder may experience electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes are essential to the production of the body's "natural electricity". Among many things, appropriate levels help to ensure healthy kidneys and heart, blood sugar levels and the delivery of oxygen to the cells. Improper balances can result in poor circulation, arrythmias, angina, myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, dehydration, malnutrition, low blood pressure......
http://www.edreferral.com/consequences_of_ed.htm