NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with the digestive disorder
known as celiac disease are more likely to develop another
disorder involving the immune system: asthma, according to a new
study. Specifically, a group of European researchers found that
people with celiac disease were 60 percent more likely to
develop asthma, relative to those without celiac. Indeed, for
every 100,000 people with celiac disease, 147 will have asthma
that would not have occurred in the absence of the digestive
disorder. Those diagnosed with asthma were also more likely to
eventually develop celiac disease, the authors report in the
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Celiac disease is
caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, a protein found
in wheat, rye, barley and other foods. The reaction keeps
sufferers from eating foods like cereal, pasta, cookies and
beer. It occurs in about 1 percent of the population, and can
lead to severe health problems including low blood count, poor
bone health, fatigue, and weight lo