Celiac Disease cases rising Play Video

Posted: Jul 2, 2009 6:15 PM
Updated: Jul 2, 2009 6:20 PM

 More than two million Americans are living with celiac disease - an immune  system reaction to gluten in the diet that can cause abdominal pain, anemia, and weight loss.

 And new research finds the frequency of celiac disease may be increasing in  the United States.
 
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic compared blood samples taken from young adults at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming between 1948 and 1954 to blood samples from adults  living in Minnesota today.

They tested all the samples for an antibody produced by people with celiac disease.  Results showed that the disorder was four times more common among adults today than it was 60 years ago.

The study also found that undiagnosed celiac disease may be especially harmful.   Participants from the 1950s with celiac disease had a four times greater risk for premature death  than those without the disorder.

Celiac disease runs in families, indicating that genes play a major role - but researchers say their findings suggest we need to look for environmetal changes that may be contributing to the rise in cases.

Source: published in Gastroenterology

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