Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis

What Is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease, sometimes called sprue or celiac sprue, is an inherited intestinal disorder in which the body cannot tolerate gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, farina, and bulgar. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune systems respond by attacking and damaging the lining of the small intestine. The small intestine is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food into the bloodstream for the body to use. When the lining is damaged, so is its ability to absorb these nutrients.

Until recently, celiac disease was considered uncommon in the United States. However, recent studies suggest that the disease may be underdiagnosed and that as many as one in every 133 Americans could have the disease.

Celiac disease affects people differently. Some people develop symptoms as children and others as adults. Symptoms vary and may or may not occur in the digestive system. They may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, irritability, and depression, among others. Irritability is one of the most common symptoms among children. In some cases, a diagnosis of celiac disease is missed because the symptoms are so varied and may only flare up occasionally.

Children and adults with untreated celiac disease may become malnourished, meaning they do not get enough nutrients, resulting in anemia, weight loss, and, in children, delayed growth and small stature. Among the possible complications of untreated celiac disease are the inability to develop optimal bone mass in children and the loss of bone in adults, both of which increase the risk of osteoporosis.

The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet.

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become less dense and more likely to fracture. Fractures from osteoporosis can result in pain and disability. Osteoporosis is a major health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans. While postmenopausal Caucasian women have the highest risk for the disease, men and certain ethnic populations are also at risk.

Risk factors for developing osteoporosis include:

• being thin or having a small frame;
• having a family history of the disease;
• for women, being postmenopausal, having an early menopause, or not having menstrual periods (amenorrhea);
• using certain medications, such as glucocorticoids;
• not getting enough calcium;
• not getting enough physical activity;
• smoking; and,
• drinking too much alcohol.

Osteoporosis is a disease that often can be prevented. However, if undetected, it can progress for many years without symptoms until a fracture occurs.

The Celiac Disease – Osteoporosis Link

Osteoporosis is a complication of untreated celiac disease. The small intestine is responsible for absorbing important nutrients, such as calcium. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining healthy bones. Even people with celiac disease who consume enough calcium are deficient in this nutrient. And since calcium is needed to keep bones healthy, low bone density is common in both children and adults with untreated and newly diagnosed celiac disease.