Question

[VinnieVan]

Hi, brand new here! When I was a baby, I was nursed exclusively until I was 10mo old. My mother introduced a few foods, some of which had gluten. I became very ill and she had no idea why. The doctor she took me to told her I had “Anglo Saxon disease and could not eat any gluten.” He also told her I would likely never walk and not develop normally. I’m 71, very healthy and I walk!! Has anyone ever heard celiac called that? I never eat gluten. If some slips by me, I know within a few minutes. It’s horrible, as all of you know! Anyway, thank you for letting me be here! Let me know if anyone else has ever heard celiac disease called Anglo Saxon disease! 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @VinnieVan!

No, never heard it called that. What was the physician's racial/ethnic profile? IIRC, The connection between gluten and celiac disease was made during the WW2 era in Holland when the Germans blockaded a region along the Rhine River and the local populace did not have access to wheat flour. A local physician began to notice that some of his patients who had always been unexplainably sickly began to thrive. That's a pretty "white" area. Also, for many years, it was thought that celiac disease was largely confined to those of European descent but we know better now. That likely was a product of what people groups had access to healthcare rather than some ethnic/racial phenomenon. As healthcare has become available on a more worldwide basis we have seen that celiac disease is certainly not confined to those of European ancestry. It has become very common in India, for instance.

[VinnieVan]

Thank you for your response, Trents. I was only 10mo old at the time, so I don’t know anything about the doctor other than he was in Portland, Oregon. I assume, given it was 1954, that he was white, but I can’t be sure. We didn’t live in Oregon. Having this “issue” was never a big deal as I remember. As an older child, teen and young adult, I ate some breads - rye, sourdough, spelt. No pasta, baked goods, pizza or breaded meats. That said, I was extraordinarily thin. Since my 20’s I’ve been totally gluten free, so nearly 50 years. I am very cautious and eat really well. Are you a celiac? How has it been for you?  Again, thank you for responding. 

[trents]

I am a celiac, officially diagnosed almost 25 years ago but I have laboratory evidence that the onset was at least 13 years prior to that when my liver enzymes became mildly but persistently elevated and there was no other explanation. My GI symptoms were relatively minor and back then they were only looking for classic GI symptoms when considering a diagnosis of celiac disease. My PCP said, "I don't know why your liver enzymes are elevated. Maybe that's just the way you are." Well, that wasn't a good enough answer and the liver is a pretty important organ so I took it upon myself to schedule a GI consult. I should mention that my iron stores were also beginning to drop out of normal range and some other labs were getting out of whack. At the time I was employed as a chaplain by a healthcare system and part of my benefit package was annual CBCs and CMPs so it was easy for me to track lab values. Right away the GI doc tested me for celiac disease and I was positive. But by the time I got diagnosed at age 50 or so and started the gluten free diet I had developed osteopenia and kyphosis of the upper spine. Within three months of going gluten free my liver enzymes had normalized. But it was too late for the bones and my total protein and albumin continue a little below normal. Not sure what that's about.

I see from the bio summary below your avatar that you are in Virginia. That is where I was born and raised.

Edited 20 hours ago by trents

[Scott Adams]

13 hours ago, VinnieVan said:

Hi, brand new here! When I was a baby, I was nursed exclusively until I was 10mo old. My mother introduced a few foods, some of which had gluten. I became very ill and she had no idea why. The doctor she took me to told her I had “Anglo Saxon disease and could not eat any gluten.” He also told her I would likely never walk and not develop normally. I’m 71, very healthy and I walk!! Has anyone ever heard celiac called that? I never eat gluten. If some slips by me, I know within a few minutes. It’s horrible, as all of you know! Anyway, thank you for letting me be here! Let me know if anyone else has ever heard celiac disease called Anglo Saxon disease! 

Yes, in the mid-20th century, including the 1950s, some doctors and researchers referred to celiac disease as a condition primarily affecting people of European, particularly Northern European, descent. The term "Anglo-Saxon disease" was sometimes used in medical literature and discussions to describe celiac disease, based on the observation that it appeared to be more prevalent among people of Anglo-Saxon ancestry compared to other populations.

This terminology stemmed from early epidemiological studies suggesting that celiac disease was more common in individuals of Northern European descent, while being less frequently diagnosed in other ethnic groups. However, this was likely due to differences in genetic predisposition (such as the prevalence of HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes), dietary habits, and diagnostic awareness rather than an absolute racial or ethnic exclusivity.

While the term "Anglo-Saxon disease" is outdated and no longer used, historical references to it can be found in older medical texts and discussions about the geographic and genetic distribution of celiac disease. 

[VinnieVan]

Thank you so much! This is helpful, just to know. Over the years, I’ve seen the scope and understanding of the disease broaden. In some ways, I think it’s remarkable a doctor in Oregon way back then could diagnose a baby he’d never met so quickly. I wish I’d asked more questions!!