"Latent Celiac Disease" Linked with GI Symptoms and Osteoporosis
Last September, Swedish researchers announced that full-blown celiac disease is not the only form of the disorder to have serious consequences. They found that so-called "latent celiac disease" - celiac disease antibodies in the blood, but no obvious damage to the intestines - put people at a very slightly increased risk of premature death. (Read about that research here: Mortality Risks with "Latent Celiac Disease"
This month, researchers from Finland reported that patients with latent celiac disease also have a higher risk for gastrointestinal problems and poor bone health. These doctors studied 73 patients with celiac antibodies but normal-looking intestines. In the March issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, they say these patients had a higher-than-average rate of gastrointestinal symptoms (such as "indigestion") that improved significantly after a year on a gluten-free diet. Also, more than half the patients had osteoporosis or osteopenia, and the researchers started to see some improvement in their bone mineral density with the gluten-free diet.
Source:
Kurppa K, Collin P, Sievänen H, Huhtala H, Mäki M, Kaukinen K. Gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life and bone mineral density in mild enteropathic coeliac disease: a prospective clinical trial. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2010;45:305-14.
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