Resting energy expenditure in a cohort of female patients with bipolar disorder: indirect calorimetry vs Harris-Benedict, Mifflin-St. Jeor, LARN Equations.

The role of predicitve equations versus indirect calorimetry in patients treated for bipolar disorder has been investigated in this study published on the Official Journal of the Italian Society of Psychopathology.

The purpose of this study was to compare predictive formulae (Harris-Benedict, Mifflin-St. Jeor and LARN) commonly used to calculate resting energy expenditure (REE) with the indirect calorimetry (IC) in a sample of female outpatients with bipolar I disorder, stabilised with long-term psychopharmacological treatment.

The measured REE with indirect calorimetry (on a sample of seventeen female patients) was not significantly correlated with the three equations. Therefore, the study concludes that "equations commonly utilised for the assessment of REE are not alternatives to Indirect Calorimetry in female patients treated for bipolar I disorder".

The study can be downloaded for free at the following link: click here