There are many things as a diabetic that you should keep an eye out for. The American Diabetes Association list several common things including an increased risk of infection, hypertension, neuropathy, peripheral vasculature disease, decreased testosterone in men, and heart disease to name some. One of the less common co-occurring diseases and one that comes as a surprise to many is celiac disease.
What is Celiac Disease?
According to the Mayo Clinic, celiac disease is an immune disorder where the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged making it harder for people to absorb some nutrients. The damage is caused by an allergic reaction to the protein gluten. Gluten is found mostly in foods made from wheat, barley, and rye. These are used to make foods like bread, pastas, and cereals among many others.
Scott Adams of Celiac.com describes several of the potential symptoms of celiac disease. The symptoms are widely ranged and can differ drastically from person to person as some symptoms are allergic in nature and some are gastrointestinal. Common symptoms may be bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain and gas. Some may be a result of malabsorption of nutrients and include osteoporosis, infertility, hair loss, and weight loss. Other common symptoms are depression, joint pain, rashes, mouth sores, and many others. Long term damage caused by continual exposure to gluten can lead to permanent damage of the small intestine leading to severe malnutrition and even death.
Diabetes and Celiac Disease
A study published by the American Diabetes Association says that on average celiac disease exists in about 10% of children and 2% of adults with type 1 diabetes whereas about 0.01-0.03% of the general population suffers from celiac disease. This means that on average the prevalence of celiac disease in people with type 1 diabetes is about 20 times higher than in the general population.
There are a few theories as to why this might be the case. There has been some evidence, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008, that people with celiac disease that consume gluten and the effect it has on the gut’s permeability may be one of the things that aids in the development of type 1 diabetes. Whatever the cause, it is believed that type 1 diabetes and celiac disease must share some genetic or environmental factor as the prevalence of both diseases is higher within families and is much more common in people of northern European descent.
How This Affects You
If you have some of the risk factors for celiac disease including diabetes, particularly type 1, have a family member who has a wheat allergy, and are of northern European descent, then keep your eyes open for the signs of celiac disease. Ask your doctor about gluten allergies if you experience any of the symptoms of celiac disease or have been previously diagnosed with disorders like anemia, depression, IBS, and Crohns disease, especially if these exhibit atypical or unusual symptoms.
Celiac disease is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Long term damage can have serious side effects and can make handling your diabetes difficult. While other problems from your diabetes are more likely, co-occurring celiac disease is too common and too dangerous to ignore.
Sources
Celiac Disease Symptoms – Celiac.com
Definition of Celiac Disease – MayoClinic.com
Occurrence of Celiac Disease After Onset of Type 1 Diabetes – Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Genetics and Diabetes – New England Journal of Medicine
Celiac Disease and Glucose Control – American Diabetes Association
Complications of Diabetes – American Diabetes Association