When newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you will also hear a buzz about being tested for celiac disease. There is a strong correlation between both of these autoimmune diseases.
What is the prevalence of celiac disease in children?
According to the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, “the prevalence of celiac disease in children between 2.5 and 15 years of age in the general population is 3 to 13 per 1000 children, or approximately 1:300 to 1:80 children.”
Most interestingly, according to a study in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics, the age at onset of T1D is younger in patients with double disease (celiac disease and type 1 diabetes) than in those with single disease (only type 1 diabetes).
They cite diagnostic rates for children with type 1 diabetes between 4.4 and 11.1 percent versus .5 percent in the general population. Which falls in line with other studies citing diagnostic rates of celiac disease in this population as high as 1:10 children.
What is the connection between these two diseases?
HLA genotype DR3-DQ2 and DR4-DQ8 are strongly associated with type 1 diabetes. HLA genotype DR3-DQ2 are associated with celiac disease.
See She Sugar’s previous articles: “Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes Share Genetic Link”
See She Sugar’s article “Blood Tests to Diagnose Celiac Disease”
“Numerous studies demonstrate that children with Celiac Disease frequently have gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea with failure to thrive (FTT), abdominal pain,vomiting, constipation and abdominal distension…There is strong evidence for an increased occurrence of CD in children with dermatitis herpetiformis, dental enamel defects, type 1 diabetes, IgA deficiency, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome and first-degree relatives of patients with CD.”
~ According to the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, “Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Celiac Disease in Children: Recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition”