Celiac disease is more common in patients with diabetes than previously thought. Whereas less than 1% of US children and adults are afflicted, a new study found a 4.6% incidence of celiac disease among people with type 1 diabetes.

Celiac disease is a lifelong digestive disorder in which gluten, a food component found in many grains, damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients. It may appear at any time in the life of a person with a hereditary predisposition to it. Symptoms are varied and may include:

• Abdominal cramping, intestinal gas, distention and bloating
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
• Oily stools
• Unexplained anemia
• Weight loss with large appetite, or weight gain

Treatment of celiac disease, which is also called celiac sprue, is adherence to a gluten-free diet. Medication is not usually required.

The researchers who found the higher than expected incidence among diabetes suggest that doctors consider celiac disease in the differential diagnosis of their patients with diabetes and GI symptoms.

Related information Diabetes and stomach problems

Sources:

• Mitka M. Celiac disease in diabetics. Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov. 28, 2001;286.
• The Celiac Disease Foundation. About celiac disease, 2000.