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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Life 
This article is: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4279676.html  
Oct. 22, 2006, 10:50PM

CELIAC DISEASE IS FAR MORE COMMON THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE 

BY JOE GRAEDON and TERESA GRAEDON
King Features Syndicate      www.PeoplesPharmacy.com
King Features Syndicate 300 W. 57th Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10019 
    For decades, many doctors have encouraged patients to skip vitamins and
eat a "well-balanced diet." What that means exactly has been hotly debated
for a very long time. One key component, though, has always been whole
grains like wheat, barley and rye.
      The only trouble with this recommendation is that for millions of
Americans it is poison. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a
protein found in these grains.
      When they eat foods made with flour such as pasta, pizza or even
whole-wheat bread, the lining of the small intestine is severely damaged. As
a result, such patients cannot absorb key nutrients from their diet, and
they may suffer from a range of serious symptoms.
      Digestive-tract upset is not uncommon. Many people complain of
discomfort ranging from heartburn, gas and bloating to cramping and
diarrhea. Others experience fatigue, anemia, an itchy skin rash, nerve pain,
migraines or osteoporosis.
      But one of the most insidious and easily overlooked complications of
celiac disease may be dementia. Physicians are rarely taught that cognitive
impairment might be a symptom of celiac disease, so forgetfulness is usually
attributed to aging or Alzheimer's disease.
      After listening to a radio show we hosted on celiac disease, a
listener shared this story: "Your program may have saved my life. I know it
saved my sanity.  "The more people talked on the show, the more I thought
'That sounds like me!' I had heard of celiac disease, but I did not know it
could show up in adulthood. I figured I had nothing to lose by eliminating
wheat from my diet for a while.
      "After a week of rice and vegetables, I couldn't believe how much
better I felt. The bloating, gas, diarrhea and puffiness were gone. Best of
all, though, the depression, lethargy and inability to concentrate and think
began to lift.
      "Not long before, I had insisted my doctor test me for Alzheimer's! I
was losing my ability to recognize faces. I couldn't have written a letter
because I wouldn't have been able to sustain a train of thought long enough
to get past the first paragraph."
      New research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that celiac disease should
be considered when people start having trouble thinking, doing simple math
or remembering things (Archives of Neurology, October 2006). A review of
patient records revealed several people who had been diagnosed with both
celiac disease and dementia. In two cases, following a gluten-free diet
reversed the cognitive decline.
      Earlier diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease with a completely
gluten-free diet might be able to keep some people from developing cognitive
problems that resemble Alzheimer's disease.
      Celiac disease is far more common than most people realize. It often
goes undiagnosed for years because symptoms are varied and nonspecific.
Perhaps as this condition gets more attention, it will become rare for
people to suffer from the debilitating consequences.
      Readers who would like to learn more about celiac disease may want a
CD of our one-hour radio interview. The show covers symptoms, diagnosis and
treatment. It is available for $16 from the People's Pharmacy (CD- 594),
P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027 or from www.peoplespharmacy.com.
From Janet Rinehart, Chairman, Houston Celiac Support Group,
www.houstonceliacs.org

 

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