Celiac Disease Linked to an Increase in Nerve Damage Risk: STUDY

A new study released on Monday found that patients who suffered from Celiac disease are 2.5 more likely to develop nerve damage.

The study from researchers in New York included 28,000 patients who had celiac disease that was diagnosed with a biopsy. The study also included 139,000 patients in a control group. Researchers noted that celiac disease patients had a 2.5 times higher risk of nerve damage compared to the control group.

People with the disease may be able to prevent nerve damage by following a gluten-free diet - avoiding foods with wheat, barley and rye, the authors of this study said.

"We found an increased risk of neuropathy in patients with celiac disease that persists after celiac disease diagnosis," Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues wrote.

"Although absolute risks for neuropathy are low, celiac disease is a potentially treatable condition with a young age of onset. Our findings suggest that screening could be beneficial in patients with neuropathy," the researchers concluded.

After research and analysis, 198 patients with celiac disease were diagnosed with neuropathy from a total of 359 control subjects. That means that 0.7 percent of people with celiac disease are more likely to develop nerve damage. Out of the "control" subjects, only 0.3 percent were exposed to such risks.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disorder that results in damage to the small intestine when gluten is ingested. The disorder is passed on genetically.

It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Patients with neuropathy typically have weakness, numbness or pain in their extremities.