The results of a recent study indicate that celiac
disease (CD) is twice as common in patients with dyspepsia, commonly referred
to as indigestion, as in the general population. Therefore, the authors
propose that screening for CD should be considered in all patients with
dyspepsia to allow diagnosis and treatment, since CD is a treatable disease.
Although 30% to 40% of patients with CD (which affects
1 in 200 individuals) have symptoms of indigestion, the prevalence of
CD in patients with problem was previously unknown.
The findings are based on a study of 517 patients
with dyspepsia, who were given endoscopies and had tissue samples tested
for CD. The relative risk for CD was more than double that of the general
population and higher among women, where the risk increased more than
3-fold.
Arch Intern Med
2000; 160: 1489-1491