My mother was diagnosed with COPD, a month before she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She needed to use puffers daily to get relief from the associated shortness of breath. Interestingly, her shortness of breath went away after she started a gluten-free diet:)

Study: Ludvigsson JF, Inghammar M, Ekberg M, Egesten A. A nationwide cohort study of the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in coeliac disease. J Intern Med. 2011 Aug 31.

I live in B.C., but most of my relatives live in Ontario. It certainly was a challenge getting my relatives tested, due to this lack of coverage. This roadblock could easily lead to delayed diagnosis for many people who live there. As we know, delayed diagnosis can lead to many complications. As a preventative measure, hopefully, the government of Ontario will follow the other provinces and provide coverage for celiac testing.

I would like to see it taken a step further with coverage for all the tests used to diagnose the various types of gluten intolerance:)

http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/index.html?releasePID=fplsrQvQaxtxO2BmHbloZ9KWj7YM8vK4

If you are interested in purchasing a paperback copy of “Gluten Toxicity: The Mysterious Symptoms Of Celiac Disease, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, And Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance”, then please see the links below.

Amazon For Canada  

Amazon For The U.S.A.  

Amazon For The United Kingdom  

Amazon For Germany 

Amazon For Japan 

If you would prefer an e-book version of “Gluten Toxicity”, please see the e-book from my blog 

Thank you very much for your support,

Shelly Stuart, R.N., B.Sc.N.

I am very thankful for this opportunity to increase awareness about gluten intolerance:)

Fanny Kiefer and I talked about celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and non-celiac gluten intolerance on Studio 4 (channel 4) this week. It was great to meet Fanny and all of the wonderful people at Studio 4 in person.

Please click on the picture above if you would like to see the interview.

Gluten-Free Help Blog: http://www.glutenfreehelp.info/give-away

Best regards,
Shelly Stuart

Gluten-Free Homemaker Blog:  http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/2011/04/gluten-toxicity-book-review-giveaway/

Best Regards,

Shelly Stuart

In another study, a young man had progressive neurological symptoms. The doctor ordered diagnostic imaging of his brain and the results showed white matter lesions that were suggestive of ALS. However, part of the diagnostic blood work-up revealed endomysium antibodies and duodenal biopsies confirmed the presence of celiac disease. A strict gluten-free diet was initiated [2].

More research is needed to investigate the possible link between gluten and ALS. I’m suspecting that a connection is very likely. If celiac disease isn’t the culprit, non-celiac gluten intolerance might be the underlying cause. A therapeutic diet would be an attractive alternative to the use of medications (with possible side effects) and other possibly invasive procedures.

If you subscribe to my blog (see upper right corner), you should be notified each time I post a new blog post.

The rest of this series will follow in the next 2-3 months. Scroll down the right side of my blog until you find ALS. All of the ALS posts will be found in this category.

5 Part Series

Part 1 Of 5 Part Series : Could A Gluten Intolerance Cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Or Lou Gehrig’s Disease?

Part 2 Of 5 Part ALS Series: How Could A Gluten Intolerance Cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Or Lou Gehrig’s Disease? (see 8 sections of Part 2 below)

Section 1 of Part 2: How Could Antibody Reactions Against Transglutaminases Contribute To ALS

Section 2 of Part 2: Could IgA and IgG Mediated reactions To Foods Contribute To ALS Symptoms

Section 3 of Part 2: Could Glutamic Acid And Aspartic Acid Contribute To ALS Symptoms

Section 4 of Part 2: Abnormal Neurological Findings With A Gluten Intolerance

Section 5 of Part 2: Can Nutrient Deficiencies Contribute And How is This Associated With A Gluten intolerance?

Section 6 Part 2: Are There studies Showing An Association Between Gluten And ALS?

Part 3 Of 5 Part Series: How Could A Gluten Intolerance Cause ALS In Various Age Groups

Part 4 Of 5 Part Series: How could A Lectin Intolerance Contribute To ALS

Part 5 Of 5 Part Series: Some Final Thoughts About ALS And Gluten

Scroll down the right side of my blog until you find ALS. All of the ALS posts will be found in this category.

References

1. Turner MR, Chohan G, Quaghebeur G, Greenhall RC, Hadjivassiliou M, Talbot K.  A case of celiac disease mimicking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Clin Pract Neurol. 2007 Oct;3(10):581-4.

2. K.J. Brown, V Jewells, H. Herfarth, M. Castillo. White Matter Lesions Suggestive Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Attributed To Celiac Disease. American Society Of Neuroradiology, 2009.

Immunological reactions to gluten can lead to brain atrophy, nerve damage, nutrient deficiencies, hypoperfused (low blood flow) brain regions, vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels in the brain), and white matter lesions in the brain. This could potentially contribute to  to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia symptoms.

One study mentioned that two patients with Alzheimer’s disease were later found to have celiac disease. Once a gluten-free diet was initiated, their cognitive symptoms improved (15). The study findings are not really that surprising, immune reactions against gluten and cross reactions against brain tissue can occur with a gluten intolerance and this could contribute to cognitive decline. Associated nutrient deficiencies (with intestinal villi damage) can certainly affect a patient’s cognitive abilities as well.

I think researchers need to look closer at this possibility. Many families are negatively impacted by this disease. If gluten is the underlying culprit, a therapeutic gluten-free diet would be an attractive treatment that may improve their cognitive status.

This study just mentioned the possible connection to celiac disease, I strongly suspect that non-celiac gluten intolerance could also contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore negative celiac tests wouldn’t rule out this possible connection. Testing for non-celiac gluten intolerance would also need to occur.

References

1. Hadjivassiliou M, Grunewald RA, Chattopadhyay AK, Davies-Jones GA, Gibson A, Jarrat JA, et el. Clinical, Radiological, Neurophysiological, And Neuropathological Characteristics Of Gluten Ataxia. Lancet 1998;352:1582-5.

2. Dickey W. Epilepsy, Cerebral Calcifications, and Coeliac Disease. Lancet 1994;344:1585-6

3. Hadjivassilou M and Grünwald R. The Neurology of Gluten Sensitivity: Science vs. Conviction. Practical Neurology 2004 4, 124-126.

4. Collin P, Pirttilä T, Nurmikko T, Somer H, Erilä T, Keyriläinen O. Celiac disease, brain atrophy, and dementia. Neurology. 1991 Mar;41(3):372–375.

5. Ghezzi A, Filippi M, Falini A, Zaffaroni M. Cerebral involvement in celiac disease: a serial MRI study in a patient with brainstem and cerebellar symptoms. Neurology. 1997 Nov;49(5):1447–1450.

6. Matthias Kieslich, MD, Germán Errázuriz, MD, Hans Georg Posselt, MD, Walter Moeller-Hartmann, MD, Friedhelm Zanella, MD, and Hansjosef Boehles, MD. Brain White-Matter Lesions in Celiac Disease: A Prospective Study of 75 Diet-Treated Patients. PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 2 August 2001, p. e21.

7. Addolorato G et al (2004) Regional cerebral hypoperfusion in patients with celiac disease Am J Med 116 (312-317)

8. B. Emanuel, A. Lieberman. Electroencephalogram changes in celiac disease. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 62, Issue 3, Pages 435-437.

9. Lea ME, Harbord M, Sage MR. Bilateral Occipital Calcification Associated With Celiac Disease, Folate Deficiency, And Epilepsy. AJNR 16:1498-1500, Aug 1995.

10. B. Emanuel, A. Lieberman. Electroencephalogram changes in celiac disease. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 62, Issue 3, Pages 435-437

11. Regional cerebral hypoperfusion in patients with celiac disease. The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 116, Issue 5, Pages 312-317

12. R. L. Chin, MD, H. W. Sander, MD, T. H. Brannagan, MD, P. H.R. Green, MD, A. P. Hays, MD, A. Alaedini, PhD and N. Latov, MD PhD. Celiac Neuropathy. Neurology 2003;60:1581-1585.

13. Wilkinson ID, Hadjivassiliou M, Dickson JM, Wallis L, Grünwald RA, Coley SC, Widjaja E, Griffiths PD. Cerebellar Abnormalities On Proton MR Spectroscopy in Gluten Ataxia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2005 Jul;76(7):1011-3.

14. Kepes JJ, Chou SM, Price LW., Jr Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with 10-year survival in a patient with nontropical sprue. Report of a case with unusual light and electron microscopic features. Neurology. 1975 Nov;25(11):1006–1012.

15. Lurie Y, Landau DA, Pfeffer J, Oren R. Celiac disease diagnosed in the elderly. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008 Jan;42(1):59-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18097291