Women with celiac disease face a much higher risk of other health complications, including ovarian failure, endometriosis, and pregnancy loss, a large new study suggests.
"The key message here is that celiac disease is associated with higher odds of women's health disorders," said researcher Rama Nanah, MD, a clinical hospitalist at the Cleveland Clinic. Women with celiac disease should be aware of these associations, and doctors should be careful to check for any additional risks, she said.
Compared to women without the condition, those with celiac disease also had significantly higher rates of polycystic ovary syndrome, irregular menstruation, and infertility.
The study found that women with celiac disease have a six times greater chance of primary ovarian failure, a 2½ times higher chance of endometriosis, and twice the odds of repeated pregnancy loss — compared to women without celiac disease.
But researchers couldn't figure out why celiac disease raises these risks in women.
They looked at rates of health disorders in 9,368 women with celiac disease and another 25 million women without the condition matched for age, race, and body mass index using a national database of medical claims.
More Common in Women
The number of people diagnosed with celiac disease continues to grow, and it remains more common among women, Nanah said at ACG 2023 in Vancouver, Canada, a major conference sponsored by the American College of Gastroenterology.
