Celiac disease is a multisystem pathology that has an autoimmune basis caused by gluten, present in cereals such as wheat. That is, the immune system reacts negatively to the consumption of this protein and causes various damages to the body. Therefore, when this disease is identified, patients should adopt a diet with foods free of this substance. Although it is usually diagnosed during childhood, the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain (FACE) states that approximately 75% of people with celiac disease are undiagnosed. So, sometimes, this discovery comes in adulthood.
Although celiac disease has traditionally been linked to childhood, studies such as the one developed by a team of English researchers affirm that around 34% of people diagnosed with celiac disease today are over 60 years old. One of the main reasons behind the delay in diagnosis is that the symptoms are somewhat different during these ages.
Unlike what happens in other younger age groups, the symptoms that older people present regarding celiac disease are less inaccurate. Therefore, it is easier to confuse them with other types of disorders or pathologies. One of the most common is anemia, a condition that causes the body to not have enough healthy red blood cells due to an iron deficiency. A consequence of celiac disease hindering the work of the intestine by not being able to adequately absorb the nutrients ingested through food.
However, this is not the only one, other warning signs can also be observed that offer clues to medical personnel that it may be a case of celiac disease. If several of them are perceived, it is advisable to request a medical appointment to identify as soon as possible if it is indeed a case of celiac disease. Or it would be advisable to study another series of possibilities that explain the symptoms.
The recommended treatment to treat celiac disease in older people seems obvious: completely eliminate gluten from the diet. However, this will not always be the case and will depend considerably on each case. Since, for some older people, the benefits of removing this protein from the diet may not be enough to compensate for the harm it entails. In this way, the decision will come from specialized medical personnel once each particular case has been studied.
