Gluten sensitivity can increase suicide risk

"When the gut is inflamed, the brain is inflamed" is a guideline that clinicians should bear in mind, and depression is one possible expression of brain inflammation. A study just published in the journal Digestive and Liver Disease offers evidence that inflammatory reactions to gluten can increase the risk for suicide. The authors state:

"Individuals with coeliac disease have increased risk of depression and death from external causes, but conclusive studies on death from suicide are missing. We examined the risk of suicide in coeliac disease and amongst individuals where the small intestinal biopsy showed no villous atrophy."

The authors collected biopsy data on 29,083 individuals (from all 28 clinical pathology departments in Sweden) 1969–2007 who had celiac disease with villous atrophy (eroded gut lining), and another 13,263 who had non-celiac gluten sensitivity (inflammation but without villous atrophy), and 3719 subjects with positive coeliac disease lab results but normal mucosa. They the calculated Hazard ratios for suicide as recorded in the Swedish Cause of Death Register. What did their data show?

"The risk for suicide was higher in patients with coeliac disease compared to general population controls (HR = 1.55; based on 54 completed suicides). Whilst suicide was also more common amongst individuals with inflammation (HR = 1.96), no such increase was seen amongst individuals with a normal mucosa but positive coeliac disease serology."

In other words, their data showed a 96% increase in risk for suicide among those with gluten sensitivity who had gut inflammation. These findings are in keeping with the extensive evidence for brain inflammation as a factor in depression and the linked between microinflammati0n in the gut and destructive glial activity in the brain. The authors conclude with an exhortation to practitioners:

"We found a moderately increased risk of suicide amongst patients with coeliac disease. This merits increased attention amongst physicians treating these patients."

Note: Many diagnoses are missed due to inadequate laboratory resources. Only Cyrex Labs currently offers a complete gluten sensitivity test panel.