I have a friend (early 20s) who has been diagnosed with celiac disease. My sister is a diabetic who, latter in life, was also diagnosed with celiac. What are the chances of an individual diagnosed with celiac becoming a diabetic?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune problem of the intestinal lining where the body cannot process wheat/gluten. The lining gets damaged and micronutrients cannot be absorbed. This can have minor or major affects on diabetes. Both overlap, with about 5-8% of type 1 diabetes patients also having celiac disease when sophisticated modern antibody tests are used for screening. We, and many others, are routinely testing for celiac disease annually just as we screen for thyroiditis and lipid problems because of how commonly they co-exist. Type 1 diabetes is another autoimmune disorder as is thyroiditis. The common link is probably a genetic predisposition related to the HLA gene sites on the sixth chromosome. What “sets” off one or the other is not well known or understood, however. You may wish to read Celiac on our web site for additional information.

SB