Celiac disease may lead to early menopause and fertility compromise

Women who live with celiac disease may experience menopause earlier and have a higher risk of some pregnancy complications, more than other women. A new study also suggests that if women are diagnosed early and follow dietary restrictions, they may not experience these side effects any more than any other woman.

According to Dr. Shawky Badawy, the head of obstetrics and gynecology at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, celiac disease affects “the whole spectrum of the reproductive career of women. . . It’s very interesting that when this disease is diagnosed early and corrected by gluten-free diet, you find that these people improved significantly and their reproductive function improved significantly.”

About one percent of Americans have celiac disease. The immune system reacts to glutens which are found in most grains including wheat, barley and rye. Eating these glutens damages the intestines and keeps that organ from absorbing vital nutrients. These nutritional deficiencies plus lower hormone levels that come with celiac disease may be the reason for the earlier menopause. Reduced body fat and inflammation from the celiac disorder will contribute to hormonal disruption according to Dr. Carolina Ciacci from Federico Il University of Naples, Italy and lead author on the study.

Women with celiac often go through menopause between the ages of 47 and 48. Women with and without the disease who followed a gluten free diet experienced menopause at age 50. While the average number of pregnancies was around two or three for all the women in the study, the women with untreated celiac had greater occurrence of miscarriage and premature birth.

Source: Menopause, Reuters