Celiac disease linked to increased risk of coronary artery disease

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People with celiac disease may have a near two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease compared with the general population, according to research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session.The study is the first to look at the association between celiac disease and coronary artery disease and adds to the evolving understanding of how systemic inflammation and autoimmune processes might influence cardiovascular disease development. Data also showed a slightly higher risk of stroke among people with celiac disease compared to controls.Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the digestive system that can damage the small intestine, eventually interfering with the absorption of key nutrients. People with celiac disease are unable to tolerate gluten — a protein found in food such as wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is thought to trigger an immune and inflammatory response in the gut.”People with celiac disease have some persistent low-grade inflammation in the gut that can spill immune mediators into the bloodstream, which can then accelerate the process of atherosclerosis and, in turn, coronary artery disease,” said R.D. Gajulapalli, M.D., clinical associate at the Cleveland Clinic and co-investigator of the study. “Our findings reinforce the idea that chronic inflammation, whether it’s from an infection or a disease, can have an adverse role in coronary artery disease and heart health in general.”Researchers obtained electronic health records of patients from 13 participating health care systems between January 1999 and September 2013. Out of a total of nearly 22.4 million patients, 24,530 were diagnosed with celiac disease. Patients without celiac disease served as controls. There was no difference in smoking status or diabetes rates between the two groups. Those with celiac disease were slightly more likely to have high cholesterol, but less likely to have high blood pressure. …


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