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"Newsmax Health Alert" today ran the following article about the connection
between osteoporosis and celiac disease.  It's encouraging to see that more
and more of the media are covering CD.


Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis Link Brings Possible Treatment

A new study indicates a startling reason that osteoporosis is a risk factor
for celiac disease: The body's immune system may attack its own bone tissue.
It also holds promise for treatment.
Scientists previously speculated that the reason for the celiac-osteoporosis
link was the body's failure to absorb vitamin D and calcium, nutrients
essential for healthy bones.
But researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied a protein called
osteoprotegerin (OPG) in victims of celiac disease. OPG controls the rate
that bone is removed and is vital in maintaining good bone health. They
found that 20 percent of celiac patients produced antibodies that kept the
OPG protein from working properly. The result is rapid destruction of bone
and severe osteoporosis. 

Although the scientists found that, even though this form of osteoporosis
doesn't respond to calcium and vitamin D supplement, it can be treated with
drugs already available that prevent bone loss. 

An intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, causes celiac disease,
which damages and inflames the small villi that line the small intestines
and help in digestion. When inflamed, the villi can't absorb food normally,
which leads to diarrhea and malnutrition. 

"This is a very exciting step forward," said lead researcher Professor
Stuart Ralston from the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine. "Not
only have we discovered a new reason to explain why osteoporosis occurs in
celiac disease, but we have also found that it responds very well to drugs
that prevent bone tissue removal," he told BBC News. 
"Testing for these antibodies could make a real and important difference to
the lives of people with celiac disease by alerting us to the risk of
osteoporosis and helping us find the correct treatment for them." 

Bone Health Fact: Celiac Disease affects 1 in 100 people, and many of them
will develop osteoporosis.


Connie Sarros
Gluten-free Cookbooks
www.gfbooks.homestead.com     

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