Wall Street Journal Article Re Reflux

[Nevadan]

Today's Wall Street Journal (Oct 10, 2005) has a featured article in the health section addressing heartburn, reflux, etc titiled:

The Hidden Dangers of Heartburn

How a common health problem is quietly becoming an unsuspected killer

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

October 10, 2005; Page R1

Since the article is officially accessible only by paid subscription which I have, I would like to mention a few of its highlights. This is too good an example of a missed opportunity to save a few (maybe many) people from a health problem that often responses to the gluten-free diet.

The article mentions an estimated 100 million Americans suffer from heartburn. It goes to on to discuss the growing uneasiness in the med community about the dangers of heartburn. Heartburn's links to other diseases are mentioned; however there is no mention of gluten sensitivity being a link. The article discusses the potential dangers of taking medicines for the relief of heartburn. The article discusses some possible cures, including surgery, but again no mention of gluten.

Hopefully you all can get a sense of the magnitude of missed opportunity. Nary a mention of gluten!! If you are interested, take a look at the full article in today's paper - it was quite long. I emailed the Health Editor (Write to Tara Parker-Pope at healthjournal@wsj.com ) to politely point out that reflux is a fairly common symptom of gluten sensitivity easily corrected by the gluten-free diet. Maybe if enough other people read the article and emailed as well, it might help to raise her awareness of the dangers of gluten and of the gluten-free diet as a valid and useful cure. Just a thought...

George

[celiac3270]

Excuse my playing devil's advocate here, but is heartburn really THAT closely connected to gluten that it would be mentioned in such an article?

[Nevadan]

Excuse my playing devil's advocate here, but is heartburn really THAT closely connected to gluten that it would be mentioned in such an article?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try a search for "reflux" (which is synomous with heartburn in the WSJ article) in the Predx,Testing & Symptoms forum. I did and found about 147 hits, many of them reporting decreased reflux symptoms after going gluten-free.

Reflux is also frequently listed as a possible symptom for gluten sensitivity including celiac disease e.g. Dr Fine, Enterolab; DAVID A. NELSEN, JR., M.D., M.S., University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Braly & Hoggan in "Dangerous Grains".

George

[Claire]

I agree with George.

The connection between most gastrointestinal diseases and gluten is not a secret known only to celiacs. It is commonly found in the literature - both medical and non-medical. Most doctos don't read either so it would help if writers, who have such an opportunity to educate, would do so. Claire

[FaithInScienceToo]

Gotta 'third' that one...

I, too, was diagnosed 'with reflux,' but have none, zilch, ZERO now, 9 1/2 months after going gluten-free ...

One of my younger brothers also was diagnosed 'with reflux,' and is getting tested next month, after i told him it is one of the symptoms of celiac disease. Now, if I can only get my four other siblings to get tested for celiac disease...especially my older, very thin bro who is addicted to Tums (which, of course, contain gluten!)...

But, as my mother says, Gary doesn't like anyone to ask him about his health...guess he has some sad symptoms he hides away...

Maybe all of my MANY forwarded e-mails to my 2 sisters and 3 brothers about celiac disease and the plethora of symptoms, or even the absence of symptoms, and the 15% concordance rate in siblings of diagnosed Celiacs will help motivate him (and my 3 other sibs) to get tested, too!

Gina