Objective: To examine the seroprevalence, correlates, and characteristics of undetected coeliac disease in a large adult population sample in Cambridge, UK. Methods: The Cambridge General Practice Health Study invited individuals from 12 general practices, aged 45–76 years, to attend for a health survey that included a bone density measurement, between 1990 and 1995. A total of 7550 participants’ serum samples were tested for antiendomysial antibody (EMA). Seroprevalence of undetected coeliac disease was based on EMA positivity. Differences between EMA positive and negative participants of various physiological correlates and reported characteristics were estimated by multivariate logistic and linear regression and adjusted for age, sex, social class, and smoking behaviour. Results: The seroprevalence of undetected coeliac disease in this general population sample aged 45–76 was 1.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–1.4). EMA positive participants (n=87) were on average slightly lighter by 2.2 kg (p=0.08), were more likely to have reported their general health as being “good or excellent” (odds ratio (OR) 1.76 (95% CI 0.90–3.46)), and were less likely to report being a current smoker (OR for current versus never 0.36 (95% CI 0.14–0.90)) than EMA negative participants. EMA positivity was associated with an 8% reduction in mean serum cholesterol (0.5 mmol/l; p<0.01) and reductions in mean haemoglobin (0.3 g/dl; p<0.01), total protein (1.0 g/l; p<0.05), and corrected serum calcium (0.02 mmol/l; p<0.05). There was an increased risk of osteoporosis in EMA positive participants (OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.3–7.2)) and of mild anaemia (OR 4.6 (95% CI 2.5–8.2)) compared with EMA negative participants. Conclusions: Undetected coeliac disease is likely to affect approximately 1% of the population of England aged 45–76 years, a value similar to several other countries. Those affected report “better health” but they do have an increased risk of osteoporosis and mild anaemia. In contrast, they have a favourable cardiovascular risk profile that may afford protection from ischaemic heart disease and stroke.

It has been reported that postmenopausal women with osteoporosis have a higher than expected number of dentures and fewer teeth than women without osteoporosis. The relationship between self-reported tooth loss and bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip and spine in 608 men and 874 women, aged 65-76 years, was examined in a cross-sectional study. BMD was measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry. Twenty-four per cent of men and 27% of women had no natural teeth. There was a consistent decrease in BMD with increasing numbers of teeth lost in men. This relationship was independent of age, body mass index and smoking habit (trochanter r = -0.14, p < 0.0005; Ward's triangle r = -0.1, p < 0.005; and lumbar spine r = -0.07, p < 0.05) with between 5% and 9% difference in mean BMD at various sites between men who had all their teeth and men who had no teeth. There was no significant association between self-reported tooth loss and BMD in women. Tooth loss is associated with lower BMD in men; this relationship is less consistent in women.