Study: Celiac Disease Linked to Increased Neuropathy Risk

A new study offers further evidence of a connection between celiac disease and a greater risk for neuropathy.

In an effort to examine the relative risk and absolute risk of developing neuropathy, researchers studied a nationwide population-based sample of patients with biopsy-verified celiac disease. Between October 2006 and February 2008, the authors collected data on small-intestinal biopsies performed at Sweden’s 28 pathology departments between June 1969 and February 2008. The team compared the risk of neuropathy in 28,232 patients with celiac disease with that of 139, 473 age- and sex-matched controls.
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During a median follow-up of 10 years, neuropathy developed in 0.7% of celiac patients, versus 0.3% of controls. In particular, risks for chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and mononeuritis multiplex were greatly increased among celiac patients, according to the authors, who add that the risk for acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy was not. In addition, the team found that neither sex nor age seemed to influence neuropathy risk.

While there have been previous reports in the literature outlining an association between celiac disease and neuropathy, these reports have been criticized, “because they have been primarily from tertiary care referral centers, and may have referral bias,” says Thomas Brannagan, MD, a professor of neurology and director of the Peripheral Neuropathy Center at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a co-author of the study.

This study “clearly shows a link between celiac disease and peripheral neuropathy—a “common disorder, estimated to affect 20 million people in the United States, says Brannagan, who recommends that patients with peripheral neuropathy be tested for diabetes mellitus, b12 deficiency, and a monoclonal protein.

Based on the team’s findings, “we believe that celiac disease should also be tested for in patients with peripheral neuropathy,” he says, adding that adopting a gluten-free diet could be a beneficial treatment for patients with neuropathy who have celiac disease.

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Thawani S, Brannagan T, et al. Risk of Neuropathy Among 28,232 Patients With Biopsy-Verified Celiac Disease. JAMA Neurol. 2015.