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Hi all, with regard to CD and related disorders, I have done a fair amount
of reading on the subject and would like to share my conclusions with you.
Many of the studies describing a link between CD and another disorder are
case histories of patients presenting with the neurological (or other)
disorder, who are subsequently tested and found to have CD. I think it
reasonable to assume that, in general, patients with significantly elevated
risks of related disorders are either undiagnosed or noncompliant (not
adhering to a strict GF diet).

I believe that the risk of developing an associated disorder does not fall
to that of the non-celiac population immediately on establishment of the GF
diet, but may take several years of symptomless GF living to decline to
that level. You will appreciate that many celiacs are diagnosed relatively
late in life, when a significant amount of undetected neurological damage
may already have been done by the time CD is diagnosed.

I believe that symptomless compliant celiacs should feel comfortable that
their risk of developing neurological (or other) diseases is about the same
as the non-celiac population. Note, though, that we are all, statistically
at risk. So, for instance, if the prevalence of schizophrenia in the
general population is 0.5-1%, then its prevalence among compliant celiacs
should also be 0.5-1%. Therefore, some of you may develop neurological
disorders in spite of strict adherence to a GF diet, and for the same
mysterious (non-CD-related) reasons that non-celiacs may suffer these
problems.

Hope you find this, my personal interpretation of the literature, helpful.
With best wishes
Phil

Philip Sheard
Developmental Biology Unit,
Department of Physiology,
University of Otago Medical School,
Dunedin, New Zealand.
Ph (64 3) 479-7344
Fax (64 3) 479-7323