Saturday May 6, 2023 | 8:30 a.m.
Within the framework of the International Celiac Disease Day, the Gastroenterology Service of the Madariaga Hospital reported that at least 2% of the Argentine population has celiac disease. It is a pathology characterized by intestinal damage or enteropathy of autoimmune origin.
“In other words, it is a pathology mediated by the immune system, which is triggered by the intake of gluten from wheat, oat, rye and barley flours,” explained the person in charge of the service, Guadalupe Luzuriaga.
To reach a diagnosis, it is essential to take into account four points: symptoms, blood tests, endoscopy to observe the small intestine, which is the organ that is affected in celiac disease.
Finally, a duodenal biopsy is required to observe under the microscope the final damage that conditions the immune system, which is villous atrophy. All procedures can be performed at Madariaga for free.
Likewise, Luzuriaga told what the main symptoms of celiac disease are and said that the disease is a great simulator, with specific symptoms and other non-specific ones.
“Being systemic, it is not only related to the intestine, it affects each of our body systems, the most common may be those related to the digestive-intestinal part: weight loss, malnutrition, abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea” .
In the same way, there are much more acute symptoms that may be related to infertility and irregularity in the menstrual period.
“A patient can present infertility, spontaneous abortions, late menarche (first menstruation), pubertal development, early menopause, some diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. In addition, by not having a correct absorption of calcium, it can also cause anemia ”, added the gastroenterologist.
Regarding the risk group of people who can suffer from the pathology, the majority are inherited or thyroid-related cases. “They are hereditary: first-degree relatives, Down syndrome, thyroiditis such as Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism, Turner syndrome, Williams and all autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,” concluded the specialist.
