Prospective study of body mass index in patients with coeliac disease

Population screening suggests that coeliac disease is much commoner than previously supposed. The prevalence of biopsy proved classic coeliac disease, with subtotal or total villous atrophy of the small bowel, ranges from 1:150 to 1:300 in adults in western Europe 1 2 and many patients have mild symptoms. We noticed that few of our new patients with coeliac disease were obviously malnourished and conducted a prospective study of body mass index to investigate further. Over a period of 26 months 50 adult patients (age 16-64 years) were diagnosed as having uncomplicated coeliac disease by WD in this district general hospital (catchment population around 160 000). Seven patients aged ≥65 years who received a diagnosis during this period were excluded from the study. Patients had …