People with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis have a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, certain types of blood cancer, and premature death. This is shown by a large U.S. registry study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The results are published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health—Americas.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune system reacts to gluten. Dermatitis herpetiformis, also known as cutaneous celiac disease, is a skin manifestation of the same condition and causes itchy blisters and rashes. Previous research on long-term health risks in these conditions has yielded conflicting results, particularly outside Europe.
In the new study, the researchers analyzed medical record data from the United States between 2005 and 2025. In total, just over 200,000 adults with celiac disease and nearly 7,000 with dermatitis herpetiformis were included. Each individual was matched with a control person without the condition with similar age, sex, smoking habits, and other medical conditions.
Small increases in risk that may become significant at the population level
The results show that individuals with celiac disease had an 18% higher risk of death during the follow-up period compared with the control group. They also had a slightly increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Individuals with dermatitis herpetiformis also had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but the results were more uncertain in some analyses.
