Coeliac disease and osteporosis - an exciting discovery.

Coeliac disease is a chronic and permanent auto-immune disease caused by gluten intolerance and is becoming more recognised in Britain than ever before. Coeliac UK, the organisation for sufferers, confirm that whilst the condition is diagnosed in 1 in 1000 people, the figure is more likely to be 1 in 80 ( the remainder probably being undiagnosed ), rising to 1 in 10 prevalence in families with coeliac disease. When a person with coeliac disease eats gluten ( found in wheat, barley ,oats and rye ) even in minute quantities, it causes damage in a specific part of the gut, the duodenum and jejunum. This prevents normal digestion and absorption of food as it leads to inflammation, and then degeneration of the villi, the protrusions that are responsible for the absorption of nutrients. Sufferers can experience anything from nutrient deficiency to mild malnutrition if they continue to eat gluten. Symptoms can range from diarrhoea, fatigue, being underweight, depression, anaemia and abdominal pain and distension. In theory however, symptoms can be very wide ranging as the sufferer is not absorbing nutrients and deficiencies of vitamins are common, which can make the condition easy to miss. On avoiding gluten however, the villi are mostly restored along with a return to health.

There are various degrees of the condition, and some are termed ‘exquisitely sensitive’ whilst others may suffer no symptoms at all. Those that are very sensitive have to be very vigilant, as even a pinch of flour or the wrong type of binder in a meal, or even soy sauce, can lead to pain and diarrhoea. It’s almost as bad for those that have no symptoms ( termed silent’ coeliac disease ) as its hard to follow a gluten free diet without the threat of a reaction but such sufferers are at increased risk of deficiencies and conditions in the future, such as osteoporosis.

The link between ceoliac disease and osteoporosis may have been identified as a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests “coeliac patients produce antibodies which attack a key protein that maintains bone health.” The study, carried out by the University of Edinburgh indicates that it may be a protein called osteoprotegerin which holds the key to the link as in some 20% of the coeliac patients tested, antibodies were produced which stopped this protein – crucial for maintaining bone strength – from working effectively.

This is a significant discovery as if further research proves the link then sufferers can potentially avoid osteoporosis in the future with the use of appropriate medication.