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Migraines More Likely for People With Celiac Disease, Study Says
Early research also links headaches to gluten problems, Crohn's disease and colitis
By Mary Brophy Marcus
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Migraine headaches are more likely to plague people with celiac disease than those without it, according to new research.
The connection between the digestive tract and the brain has been studied in Europe, but this is the first time American researchers have linked celiac disease and other bowel problems with migraines, said study co-author Dr. Alexandra Dimitrova.
"We found significantly higher prevalence of headaches in patients with celiac disease compared to those without it," said Dimitrova, a neurology resident at the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects one out of every 133 people in the United States, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. People with the condition can't eat pizza, pastries and other foods that contain wheat gluten. Symptoms include stomach problems, joint pain and headaches.
Neurologic manifestations of celiac disease have been described since the 1960s, and poor coordination and subtle sensory loss are among the symptoms commonly reported, Dimitrova said.
