The Impact of Celiac Disease on the Menstrual Cycle

In spite of a lack of hard evidence that indicates a connection between celiac disease and a higher risk for endometriosis, some doctors are taking a second look at this possibility. Anecdotal evidence, however, reveal that the development of endometriosis is more prevalent among women who have been diagnosed with celiac disease.

One study was conducted on a group of 1,500 women where 120 of them were diagnosed with endometriosis. The results indicated that celiac disease was four times more common among those who had endometriosis as opposed to those who were healthy overall. The blood test that was administered to both groups of women was one specifically for detecting ant-tissue transglutaminase and anti-endomysium antibodies. Both of these substances are indicators of celiac disease. Nine out of the 120 women who had endometriosis tested positive for these markers. Four of the women in this group of nine underwent an intestinal biopsy that confirmed the presence of celiac. These findings, of course, have prompted further research to understand a link between these two conditions, but at the very least, this information gives doctors more of an idea of what to look for when treating reproductive issues.