A recent study indicated that ghrelin (appetite-stimulating hormone) pathways could be targeted for the treatment of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in adolescents and young adults. Aluma Chovel Sella et al. conducted the study to investigate the association between ghrelin levels and anxiety symptoms in ARFID-affected individuals. The study examined a cross-sectional sample of 80 participants (10-23 years old) diagnosed with full and subthreshold ARFID according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 criteria.

The neurobiology of avoidant/restrictive eating was examined. The participants' fasting ghrelin levels and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using various assessment tools, including the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) for evaluating symptoms of social anxiety, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and BAI for Youth (BAI-Y) to examine somatic, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of anxiety, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and STAI for Children (STAI-C) for measuring general trait anxiety.

There was an inverse correlation between ghrelin levels and anxiety symptoms as measured by LSAS scores (r = -0.3), BAI/BAI-Y T scores (r = -0.28), and STAI/STAI-C T scores (r = -0.28), all indicating medium effect sizes. These outcomes remained consistent when considering the full threshold ARFID arm after adjustment of body mass index z scores (LSAS, β = -0.34; BAI/BAI-Y T scores, β = -0.26; STAI/STAI-C T scores, β = -0.27). The presence of heightened anxiety symptoms in youth with ARFID appears to be linked to decreased levels of ghrelin, suggesting the potential for targeting ghrelin pathways in the treatment of ARFID.