Studies have shown an increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in patients with coeliac disease (CD), despite the patients' lack of traditional IHD risk factors.
To characterise IHD according to CD status.
Data on duodenal or jejunal biopsies were collected in 2006-2008 from all 28 pathology departments in Sweden and were used to define CD (equal to villous atrophy; Marsh stage 3). We used the Swedish cardiac care register SWEDEHEART to identify IHD and to obtain data on clinical status and risk factors at time of first myocardial infarction for this case-only comparison. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). CD patients were compared with general population reference individuals.
We identified 1075 CD patients and 4142 reference individuals with subsequent IHD. CD patients with myocardial infarction had lower body mass index (P