Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bone and gut disorders 'linked'
BBC NEWS ^ | 1 March 2005

Posted on 02/28/2005 8:21:33 PM PST by Gondring

Bone and gut disorders 'linked'

Osteoporosis patients should be screened for a gut disease, US researchers believe.

Wheat

Coeliac disease is an intolerance to gluten - found in wheat

A Washington University Bone Clinic study of 840 people found those with the brittle bone disorder were 17 times more likely to have coeliac disease.

The disease, an intolerance to gluten which makes digestion difficult, is found in 1% of the general population.

The team told the Archives of Internal Medicine the study provided evidence of the benefits of a screening programme.

Although coeliac disease patients commonly have a low bone mineral density, the benefit of screening everyone with osteoporosis has been unclear to date, the Archives of Internal Medicine reported.

The team tested 266 patients with osteoporosis and 574 without, putting those with positive coeliac tests on gluten-free diets.

Lead researcher William Stenson said the coeliac risk rate was "high enough to justify a recommendation that all individuals with osteoporosis undergo screening."

He said osteoporosis patients should first be tested using a simple blood test, known as serologic screening which tests for antibodies associated with the disease.

Diagnosis

If that test proved positive, he suggested patients should undergo a more accurate intestinal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

And he added the patients could then be put on a gluten-free diet, which could then benefit the osteoporosis.

"Treatment with a gluten-free diet for a year resulted in improved bone density in individuals with coeliac disease and osteoporosis."

Dr Martin Sarner, honorary secretary of Core, formerly the Digestive Disorders Foundation, said he would welcome a screening programme in the UK.

"It would be a positive move, the blood test is relatively simple and could be carried out by GPs. It would not be hugely expensive so could prove cost effective.

"The problem is not that many doctors know about the test, I fear this is the reason it has not been introduced yet."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: celiac; coeliac; disorders; health; osteoporosis; schiavo
See also Osteoporosis links to celiac disease and consider the implications in the Schiavo case. Some are saying that Mrs. Schiavo's symptoms might have been caused by celiac disease, not bulimia and abuse of laxatives and diet pills. If so, then perhaps there's a tie-in to her bone degradation since being admitted to the ER.
1 posted on 02/28/2005 8:21:33 PM PST by Gondring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Gondring
oh

I thought this was about tribbles in the poisoned quatro-triticale....

2 posted on 02/28/2005 9:35:57 PM PST by eccentric (a.k.a. baldwidow)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: eccentric

Do tribbles have bones?


3 posted on 03/01/2005 1:28:16 AM PST by Gondring (They can have my Bill of Rights when they pry it from my cold, dead hands!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson