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Celiac disease, a form of wheat
allergy, doubles your risk of death. The risks
are particularly severe if you are diagnosed late in the disease
or do not adhere to a strict diet free of gluten, a protein
found in wheat and other grains.
Celiac disease, also known as celiac
sprue or 'gluten intolerance' is a genetic disorder that causes
bowel disorders, diarrhea or weight loss because of an insensitivity
to gluten. It affects approximately one in 30 people. Patients
often develop cancers of the intestines, which is thought
to lead to a higher death rate.
Among 1,072 patients diagnosed with celiac
disease in Italy from 1962 to 1994, researchers
found 53 deaths, compared with an expected 26 deaths
in the general population. The leading cause of death was
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Relatives of patients with celiac disease
did not have a higher than average risk of death, nor did
patients who lived three years following diagnosis.
According to the authors, "Prompt
and strict dietary treatment decreases mortality in celiac
patients."
The Lancet,
August 4, 2001; 358: 356-361
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