Risk of Thyroid Disease in Individuals with Celiac Disease
Again speaking to the disconnect between research and clinical practice, I have had more than my fair share of patients presenting with autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism that have gone to drastic lengths to manage their condition. Radioactive destruction, surgery, lifetime medication use. I do not believe I have had a single one alerted to the strong association between celiac disease and thyroid problems.
So, not only do we destroy a rather important gland in the process, we miss the opportunity to guide the patient in avoiding a condition that will shorten their lives, because untreated celiac disease increases all cause mortality. The problem is it that this link has been known in the medical literature for at least a decade.
