FW: Celiac Disease Rising, 1 in 100 Affected

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*Celiac Disease Rising, 1 in 100 Affected*

*People unaware of disorder more likely to die*

Published : Wednesday, 01 Jul 2009, 9:20 AM CDT

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Celiac disease, a digestive disorder triggered by

gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50

years ago, according to a Mayo Clinic study published this month.

The study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, also found people

who were unaware they had celiac disease were nearly four times more

likely than people without celiac disease to have died during the 45

years of follow-up.

Mayo researchers say the condition now affect one in every 100 people,

but experts still don't know why celiac disease is on the rise.

"Celiac disease has become much more common in the last 50 years, and we

don't know why," said Dr. ph Murray, the Mayo Clinic

gastroenterologist who led the study. "It now affects about one in a

hundred people. We also have shown that undiagnosed or 'silent' celiac

disease may have a significant impact on survival."

The increase in cases and the increased risk of death have led the Mayo

researchers to believe celiac disease could be a serious public health

issue.

"Celiac disease is unusual, but it's no longer rare," Dr. Murray said.

"Something has changed in our environment to make it much more common.

This study suggests that we may need to consider looking for celiac

disease in the general population, more like we do in testing for

cholesterol or blood pressure."

Dr. Murray says for every celiac disease diagnosis, there are likely 30

undiagnosed cases, including cases misdiagnosed as something like

irritable bowel syndrome. He says the findings highlight the need for

awareness among patients and doctors.

*About celiac disease*

In patients with celiac disease, the presence of a protein called gluten

from wheat, barley or rye triggers an immune system attack, damaging the

villi in the small intestine. Celiac disease symptoms may include

diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, anemia, unexplained

infertility, loss of teeth or even premature or severe osteoporosis.

*About the study*

The Mayo Clinic research team tested blood samples at an Air Force base

in Wyoming between 1948 and 1954, testing for the antibody people with

celiac disease produce in reaction to gluten.

Researchers compared those blood test results with those from two

recently collected sets from Olmsted County, Minn. One matched the ages

of those from the 1948-1954 testing at the time of the blood draw, and

the other matched their birth years. Researchers found that young people

today are 4.5 times more likely to have celiac disease than young people

were in the 1950s, while those whose birth years matched the Wyoming

participants were four times more likely to have celiac disease.

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*Mayo Clinic Study on Celiac Disease

*http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2009-rst/5329.html?src=email-release

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