Celiac disease has been associated with an enhanced risk for neuropathy according to a new study on celiac disease. This Swedish-based study has noted that patients who had celiac disease confirmed with biopsy have more twice as much chance of receiving a diagnosis neuropathy in due course.
The object of their study had been a small intestine biopsy collected from 28.932 patients with C.D. and 139.473 healthy patients and the tissue helped them to make comparison of the risk in neuropathy for both groups of patients.
Researchers say, “Given the autoimmune nature of celiac disease, our data reinforce the potential role of immunologic mechanisms for the development of neuropathy,” the researchers say. There was also a bidirectional association between celiac disease and neuropathy, since patients with neuropathy were also at increased risk of future celiac disease.”
The lead author of the study Jonas Ludvigsson, MD, PhD of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm said, “We found an increased risk of neuropathy in patients with celiac disease that persists after celiac disease diagnosis. Although absolute risks for neuropathy are low, celiac disease is a potentially treatable condition with a young age of onset. Our findings suggest that screening could be beneficial in patients with neuropathy.”
Additionally the team also said that this data “may also suggest that the two diseases may share risk factors or a common underlying etiology for the development of neuropathy, such as a potential role of immunologic mechanisms. The association between celiac and different types of neuropathy suggests that there may be specific underlying mechanisms that may lead to the predominance of one type of neuropathy compared with others.”
The effects of the disease are severe anemia, typically resulting from iron deficiency, loss of bone density, blistery skin rash, damage to dental enamel, fatigue, nervous system injury or acid reflux and heartburn. More than 1% of the general population suffers from celiac disease.
The cause of nerve damage in celiac patients could be the autoimmune nature of the disease. Immunologic mechanisms take the lead and allow the development of neuropathy, researchers stated.
