Higher Celiac Disease Rates in Women With Infertility

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By Jefferson Adams

March 4, 2015
By Jefferson Adams • March 4, 2015

Higher Celiac Disease Rates in Women With Infertility

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Celiac.com 03/04/2015 - Women with infertility face higher rates of celiac disease, according to a recent data analysis.

Until now, data connecting celiac disease and infertility has been contradictory. There are currently no recommendations regarding celiac disease screening in female patients with infertility.

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A research team recently conducted a meta-analysis to find out whether women with infertility have a higher risk for celiac disease. The team included Prashant Singh MBBS; Shubhangi Arora MBBS; Suman Lal MD; Tor A. Strand MD, PhD; and Govind K. Makharia MD, DM, DNB, MNAMS.

To source information for their analysis, the team performed a literature search using the MeSH keywords "celiac disease," "gluten," and "infertility." They based celiac diagnosis on positive patient serology and biopsies showing villous atrophy. The team extracted celiac disease data in 3 groups of women with "all cause" infertility, unexplained infertility, and a group of control subjects. They then calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) and prevalence, with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Of 105 relevant studies, they included five studies for calculation of pooled odds ratio. Four additional studies, where data on controls were not available, were also considered for calculation of pooled rates of celiac disease.

The analysis showed that women with infertility had 3.5 times higher odds of having celiac disease compared with the control group (OR=3.5; 95% CI, 1.3-9; P<0.01). Similarly, odds for celiac disease in women with "unexplained infertility" were 6 times greater than for control subjects (OR=6; 95% CI, 2.4-14.6).

Of 884 women with infertility, 20 had celiac disease indicating a pooled prevalence of 2.3% (95% CI, 1.4-3.5).

Of 623 women with "unexplained infertility," 20 had celiac disease. The pooled prevalence of celiac disease in women with unexplained infertility was 3.2% (95% CI, 2-4.9).

Celiac disease is more common in women with what is called "all-cause" infertility and "unexplained" infertility, than in general population.

Infertility and unexplained infertility can point to hidden celiac disease.

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Guest farabella

Posted March 4, 2015

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We find this case study very interesting and we share it on our Facebook page. Thank you!

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Guest Michelle

Posted March 9, 2015

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I had stomach and bowel problems for 10+ years and none of my doctors could figure out what was wrong. My husband and I were also trying for 2 years to get pregnant with no success. Just so happened that I went to a new gastroenterologist when we moved to Orlando Fl. The first thing he did was test me for celiac disease. I had a positive diagnosis after endoscopy, changed my diet, felt better than I had in years, and got pregnant 3 months later!!! This was back in 2004 and my Orlando gastroenterologist had been educated in the UK where celiac disease was very common. I am definitely proof that infertility and celiac can be related.

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Guest Arpitha

Posted April 30, 2015

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Nice Information...women with celiac disease have a high risk. Good to know.

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About Me

Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

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