OBJECTIVES: To understand the medical/treatment unmet needs of patients with and/or meeting DSM-5 criteria for binge-eating disorder (BED) and describe the characteristics of their binge-eating episodes.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of patients identified from claims in the HealthCore Integrated Research Database between February-2018 and May-2019 was conducted. Currently-active, commercially-insured, survey-eligible adult patients who either had an ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for BED or who met DSM-5 criteria for BED but had no diagnosis codes were recruited to complete an online/telephone survey. A descriptive analysis of survey results was conducted; no tests of significance were performed.

RESULTS: Among 126 respondents, 76 (60%) had a BED diagnosis code and 50 (40%) met DSM-5 criteria for BED. Mean age was 38.8 years, 92% were female, and mean BMI was 37.7 kg/m². Most patients (57%) reported 1-3 BED episodes/week, while 19% reported <1 episode and 23% ≥4 episodes. Mean time since first excessive overeating episode was 19.9 years (n=101) and among diagnosed patients (n=48) the mean time from first excessive overeating episode to diagnosis was 14.9 years. Diagnoses were typically provided by a PCP (25%) or psychiatrist (32%). Anxiety (88%), depression (83%), and obesity (72%) were common comorbidities. Over half of patients (52%) reported receiving ≥1 non-pharmacological therapy and 73% of patients were current or past users of pharmacological therapy for BED. Thirty-three percent of patients used lisdexamfetamine, 33% used anti-anxiety agents, 39% used antidepressants and 40% used weight-loss medications. Thirty-seven percent of current or past users were satisfied/very-satisfied, while 34% were neither dissatisfied/satisfied and 29% were dissatisfied/very-dissatisfied with how their medications relieved binge symptoms. Sixty-six percent of patients seldom or never planned their binge episodes in advance.

CONCLUSIONS: Most survey respondents had suffered from BED/BED symptoms for many years and used pharmacological/non-pharmacological treatments to address BED. Twenty-nine percent were dissatisfied/very-dissatisfied with how their medications relieved binge symptoms.