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Healthwatch

Celiac Disease: Exploring Four Myths

~4.2 mins read

An expert shines light on common misconceptions about this genetic autoimmune disease triggered by gluten.

Gluten-free bread & bagels with 12 appetizing toppings like avocado & olives, hummus & chickpeas, sliced hardboiled eggs & greens; concept is celiac disease

Celiac disease is a digestive and immune disorder that can keep the body from absorbing necessary nutrients. "Our conception and awareness of celiac disease has evolved over the past few decades, but there are still aspects that remain poorly understood," says Dr. Ciaran Kelly, medical director of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Perhaps not surprisingly, misconceptions are widespread among the general public. One example? Many people assume that everyone who has celiac disease is plagued by abdominal pain, bloating, or diarrhea. But actually, many adults newly diagnosed with this inherited gluten intolerance don't have these symptoms.

What's more, gluten — the sticky protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye — can cause gastrointestinal distress and other symptoms in people who don't have celiac disease. Read on for a deeper dive into four myths and facts about celiac disease and related digestive conditions.

Myth # 1: Celiac disease is usually diagnosed at a young age

Not typically. While celiac disease can develop any time after a baby's first exposure to gluten, it's usually diagnosed much later in life. According to the National Celiac Association, the average age of diagnosis is between 46 and 56. Around 25% of people are diagnosed after age 60.

Celiac disease is slightly more common in women and among people with other autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a common cause of low thyroid levels), and dermatitis herpetiformis (a rare condition marked by an itchy, blistering rash).

"We don't know why some people go from being susceptible to actually having celiac disease," says Dr. Kelly. The prevailing theory is that some sort of physical or emotional stress — such as a viral infection, surgery, or anxiety from a stressful life event — may "flip the switch" and cause the disease to appear, he says. "Increasing numbers of people are being diagnosed at midlife and older, often after they're found to have conditions such as anemia or osteoporosis caused by nutrient deficiencies," says Dr. Kelly.

Myth #2: Celiac disease only affects the gut

When people have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune system attack that can ravage the lining of the small intestine. A healthy small intestine is lined with fingerlike projections, called villi, that absorb nutrients. In celiac disease, the immune system attacks the villi, causing them to flatten and become inflamed — and thus unable to adequately absorb nutrients.

While gastrointestinal problems can occur, they aren't always present. In fact, celiac disease can present with many different symptoms that affect the nervous, endocrine, and skeletal systems. A few examples are brain fog, changes in menstrual periods, or muscle and joint pain.

Myth # 3: Celiac disease versus gluten intolerance

If you feel sick after eating gluten, you probably have celiac disease, right? Actually, that may not be true. Some people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (also called gluten intolerance), which can cause uncomfortable digestive symptoms after eating gluten. But gluten intolerance differs from celiac disease.

Celiac disease is diagnosed with blood tests that look for specific antibodies. If antibodies are present, a definitive diagnosis requires an intestinal biopsy to look for signs of damage that characterize the condition.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity does not trigger antibodies or cause intestinal damage. Yet some people with this problem say they also experience brain fog, trouble concentrating, muscle aches and pain, and fatigue after eating gluten-containing foods.

"Non-celiac gluten sensitivity appears to be a real phenomenon, but it's not well defined," says Dr. Kelly. It's unclear whether people experiencing it are intolerant to gluten or to something else in gluten-containing foods.

One possibility is sugarlike molecules known as FODMAPs, which are found in many foods — including wheat. Short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, gas and bloating can occur when gut bacteria feed on FODMAPs.

Another possibility is an allergy to wheat, which can cause symptoms such as swelling, itching, or irritation of the mouth and throat after eating wheat. Other symptoms include a skin rash, stuffy nose, and headache, as well as cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Some people may develop a life-threating allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Myth #4: A gluten-free diet always relieves the symptoms and signs of celiac disease

The sole treatment for celiac disease — adopting a diet that avoids all gluten-containing foods — doesn't always help. This problem is known as nonresponsive celiac disease.

"About 20% of people with celiac disease have ongoing symptoms, despite their best efforts to stick to a gluten-free diet," says Dr. Kelly. Others have intermittent signs and symptoms, particularly when they are accidentally exposed to gluten. Accidental exposures often happen when people eat prepared or restaurant foods that claim to be gluten-free but are not. Cross contamination with gluten-containing foods is another potential route.

Potential solutions to nonresponsive celiac disease are being studied. Three promising approaches are:

Enzymes that break down gluten, which people could take alongside gluten-containing foods. "It's a similar concept to the lactase pills taken by people who are lactose intolerant to help them digest dairy products," says Dr. Kelly.

Dampening the immune response to gluten by inhibiting an enzyme called tissue transglutaminase that makes gluten more potent as an antigen.

Reprogramming the immune response to prevent the body from reacting to gluten.

Harvard Health Publishing

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Zhinomikky

EndSARS: Reps Minority Caucus Asks Buhari To Sack Lai Mohd

~3.0 mins read

The minority caucus in the House of Representatives has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to demand the resignation of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, or effect his sack.

The caucus made the call in reaction to comments earlier made by Mohammed on the massacre of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters released its report.

Africa Today News, New York reports that the demand was made in a statement issued on Thursday by the Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, titled ‘Lagos EndSARS Report: FG Officials Have Questions to Answer – Reps Minority Caucus.’

The statement partly read, ‘The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives, after a thorough review of the report of the Lagos State EndSARS judicial panel, holds that the attempt by officials of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government to cover up the now confirmed bloody massacre of Nigerian youths by security forces at the Lekki Tollgate suggests a high-level state-backed conspiracy against Nigerians.

‘The confirmation by the Lagos panel that there was indeed a massacre at the Lekki Tollgate during the 2020 EndSARS protests in Lagos and that APC government-controlled security forces carted away bodies and mopped up evidence, places a huge burden on the Federal Government which had vehemently denied any killings.

‘The minority caucus is, therefore, apprehensive as to what furtive motive must have made the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who ought to know the truth, to rush to the media ahead of the judicial panel, to insist that there were no killings at Lekki Tollgate, even in the face of testimonies of witnesses at the sad event.

‘Whereas the proclivity of the APC-led administration to lie to Nigerians on issues is legendry and known to all, our caucus is however shocked that the administration can lie in a matter that has to do with the gruesome killing of citizens, particularly our youths and even attempt to provide official cover to the culprits.’

The opposition lawmakers said as representatives of the people, the caucus holds that killing of young ones for having the audacity to demand justice, rule of law and good governance in the nation is ‘the height of wickedness, which will continue to haunt the APC and its administration until justice is served.’

According to the caucus, the report of the Lagos panel shows that ‘no matter how lies and falsehood try to prevail, the truth will always triumph at the end.’

The lawmakers state that ‘the blood of the innocent slain at Lekki Tollgate cry out for justice and there will be no rest for their killers and those who give support or cover to the murderous act.’

The statement further read, ‘The Minority caucus, therefore, calls on the APC-led administration to come clean on the killings as well as the furtive moves to cover up the vicious act. Also, given the findings of the Lagos panel, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is expected to resign immediately or be fired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

‘Our caucus commends the Lagos panel for its boldness in the pursuit of truth and justice and urges other panels investigating allegations of brutality in other states not to be deterred but ensure that the truth is not suppressed.

‘While commiserating with the victims of the Lekki Tollgate attack, particularly the families of those killed, the Minority caucus urges Nigerians to remain calm at this crucial moment, as we will leave no stone unturned in using our legislative instruments to join forces with other well-meaning Nigerians to get justice for our people.’

Africa Today News, New York recalls that last month Lai Mohammed had claimed that there is no evidence to show that any protester was killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

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Omoji

24 HRS TO STRIKE: Showdown Looms As Labour Says Court Orders Are Rumours

~0.6 mins read

24 HRS TO STRIKE: Showdown looms as Labour says court orders are rumours

vanguardngr.com

Sep 27, 2020 6:33 AM

Ayuba Wabba

Amid uncertainty over the planned nationwide strike and mass protest against the recent hike in prices of electricity tariff and petrol pump price scheduled for tomorrow, Organised Labour, has dismissed court orders aimed at stopping the strike.

Saying it does not obey rumours, Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and President of National Union of Construction, Civil Engineering, Furniture Workers, Amechi Asugwuni, said traditional allies have been mobilised ahead of tomorrow.

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NM01

Doctor Precious Chinedu Emeka Shot Dead By Suspected Bandits In Niger State

~1.2 mins read

Gunmen suspected to be armed bandits have allegedly killed a medical doctor identified as Precious Chinedu Emeka in Salka village, Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, NaijaCover Reports.

It was gathered that the gunmen numbering about five invaded his clinic while he was on duty around 9:00pm on Wednesday evening, June 16, and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

According to an eyewitnesses, one of the gunmen who covered his face with a mask, had entered inside the clinic and demanded to see the doctor.

A source from the locality in an interview on Friday in Minna said that Dr. Precious as he was fondly called was inside the compound which doubles as his clinic when the gunmen entered and took him away.

"When they took the doctor away we reported the incident to the police and the local vigilante group . The following day (Thursday afternoon) the vigilante group later called us that they have seen a corpse inside the bush and we were able to identify that of our oga,â€ said the source who craved anonymity.

The Ohanaeze Ndi-igbo, Niger State President, Chief Emmanuel Ezeugo, who confirmed the murder of Dr. Chinedu, described the killing as â€˜very unfortunateâ€™.

Ezeugo lamented the killing of a promising young man in Niger State and thereby called on security agencies to without further delay, fish out the killers and prosecute them over the dastardly act.

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