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A population‐based study of coeliac disease, neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases
Author(s) -
LUDVIGSSON J. F.,
OLSSON T.,
EKBOM A.,
MONTGOMERY S. M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03329.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , polyneuropathy , odds ratio , coeliac disease , ataxia , disease , population , gastroenterology , retrospective cohort study , confidence interval , psychiatry , environmental health
Summary Background It has been suggested that coeliac disease (CD) is associated with several neurological diseases. However, the evidence of such an association is inconclusive as earlier research has often been based on small numbers with retrospective data collection. Aim To use Cox regression to examine the risk of neurological disease in individuals with CD. Methods Through Swedish national registers we identified some 14 000 individuals with a diagnosis of CD (1964–2003) and 70 000 reference individuals matched for age, sex, calendar year and county. Results Coeliac disease was associated with later polyneuropathy [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.4; 95% CI = 2.3–5.1]. We found no statistically significant association between CD and subsequent multiple sclerosis (HR = 0.9; 95% CI = 0.3–2.3), Parkinson’s disease (HR = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.8–1.9), Alzheimer’s disease (HR = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.9–2.6), hereditary ataxia (HR = 1.3; 95% CI = 0.5–3.6), the symptom ataxia (HR = 1.9; 95% CI = 0.6–6.2), Huntington’s disease (HR = 1.7; 95% CI = 0.3–8.6), myasthenia gravis (HR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.2–3.8) or spinal muscular atrophy (HR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.1–3.8). Prior polyneuropathy was associated with subsequent CD (odds ratio = 5.4; 95% CI = 3.6–8.2). Conclusions The association between CD and polyneuropathy indicates shared risks. We suggest that individuals with polyneuropathy routinely undergo screening for CD. There is no notable association between CD and other neurological outcomes investigated in this study.