Body Mass Index and Prevalence of Skin Diseases in Adults with Untreated Coeliac Disease

Digestion. 2009 May 7;80(1):18-24.
Body Mass Index and Prevalence of Skin Diseases in Adults with Untreated Coeliac Disease.
Zingone F, Bucci C, Tortora R, Santonicola A, Cappello C, Franzese MD, Passananti V, Ciacci C.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.

Objective: Coeliac disease (CD) is associated with immune-mediated skin diseases such as dermatitis herpetiformis and others. The objective of the study was to investigate the relation of body mass index (BMI), as an index of absorptive status, with the prevalence of skin diseases in adults with untreated CD. Methods: Anthropometry, gastro-intestinal symptoms, nutritional indices and immune-mediated skin diseases (dermatitis herpetiformis, psoriasis, aphthosis and alopecia) at diagnosis were analysed. Results: 223 men and 924 women with untreated CD (aged 20-60 years) were included, the commonest skin disease was dermatitis herpetiformis (18.4 and 6.9%, respectively), the rarest one was alopecia (1.8 and 2.1%). The BMI was positively associated with male gender, age at diagnosis and nutritional indices, negatively with diarrhoea and dyspepsia (p < 0.001). A BMI difference of 3.5 (1 standard deviation) was related to an excess prevalence of dermatitis herpetiformis (odds ratio, OR = 1.46, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.23-1.72) and of psoriasis (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.10-1.79) but not of other immunological disorders. Findings were similar in analyses by gender or age group and controlled for gender and age. The relation of BMI to dermatitis herpetiformis was linear over the whole BMI range, also excluding overweight patients. The relation of BMI to psoriasis was flat for low-to-normal BMI and explained only by overweight patients. Conclusion: In CD at diagnosis, the BMI is positively related to the prevalence of dermatitis and psoriasis, not to that of other immune-mediated skin diseases. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Coeliac, better known as Celiac disease requires a Wheat/Gluten-Free diet or else various skin inflammation occurs.

Some patients have milder symptoms of gluten sensitivity and are not classified as being Celiac. Just being gluten/wheat sensitive could potentially cause problems with skin and is worth a look if you've tried everything.

Mild cases could use a supplement like this:

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Gluten-Digest-60-Vcaps/12364?at=0

Yeah but I would find it strange that inflammation would only occur on the scalp if gluten was a reason for inflammation. Wouldn't it also present itself on other areas of the body?

Of course, it is worth a shot.

halfempty - Yeah it's a bit of a longshot, and usually food will feel like it's not going anywhere (bloating usually). Alopecia was was rarest of symptoms assessed anyway.

I've been avoiding wheat and grains the past couple of months and my bacne had cleared up considerably.