Celiac Disease And Anorexia Nervosa Are More Associated To Women

• comments
• 
• 

A new study suggests that anorexia nervosa and celiac disease manifest few common symptoms. But this eating disorder and a digestive problem respectively appeared to be different from each other.

According to the study published in the journal Pediatrics, anorexia nervosa and celiac disease were initially interchanged with each other. Women with celiac disease, unfortunately, have a minimal risk of acquiring anorexia nervosa at a later time, the researchers discovered. This could possibly happen the other way around as per the study findings.

People who are currently known to have celiac disease were likely been misdiagnosed. Therefore, those patients who were thought of suffering from the condition were later diagnosed with anorexia nervosa or the other way around. Dr. Neville Golden, chief of adolescent medicine at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and was not part of the new study said.

Dr. Golden alongside Dr. K.T. Park, a pediatric gastroenterologist also at Stanford, wrote an editorial. They theorized that the association between celiac disease and anorexia nervosa could possibly develop due to a common genetic susceptibility of both conditions. The two medical practitioners presented their writings together with the latest study.

To find evidence, the researchers looked at previous records of female patients who were diagnosed with celiac disease before the age of 19, Live Science reported. They then discovered that these women were 4.5 times more likely been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in the past.

They also found that women ages 20 and above were nearly twice as possible to develop anorexia nervosa following an initial diagnose of celiac disease. Women with same age who has not acquired the condition were perceived safe.

People with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight. In fact, their condition caused them to have an abnormally low body weight.

On the other hand, those who have celiac disease have immune system reaction in their small intestine once they consume foods with gluten.This is a protein contained in wheat, barley and rye. The lining of their small intestine could be damage later in the future.