Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients With and Without Celiac Disease on a Gluten-Free Diet

Most people maintaining a gluten-free diet (GFD) do not have celiac disease (CD). Comorbidities and associated conditions in this population are largely unknown.

This study identified demographics, dietary patterns, and diagnoses for patients prescribed a GFD during hospitalization and compared patients with CD to those without CD.

We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study for hospital admissions with a GFD between Jan 1, 2010 and June 30, 2022, while excluding patients missing demographic data (n = 113). We compared patients with and without a CD diagnosis, including multivariable logistic regression to identify characteristics independently associated with a CD diagnosis.

We analyzed 1527 hospitalized patients of all ages. A minority (n = 467, 30.6%) carried a CD diagnosis. Age, sex, body mass index, and Medicare/Medicaid enrollment and additional diagnoses associated with a GFD (e.g., IBS) were not significantly different. The CD cohort was more predominantly white (66.6% vs 58.4%, p = 0.007) and non-Hispanic (62.5% vs. 52.7%, p = 0.001). While hospitalized, patients with CD had fewer additional dietary restrictions (mean 0.33 vs 0.56, p < 0.001) and more frequent micronutrient supplementation (26.6% vs 21.4%, p = 0.03). CD was independently associated with malnutrition (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.31–2.65) and inversely associated with a vegetarian diet (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.15–0.81), reduced lactose diet (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.13–0.50), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35–0.90) while controlling for other covariates.

Two-thirds of hospitalized patients receiving a GFD do not have a diagnosis of CD. Among GFD inpatients, CD is associated with fewer dietary restrictions and independently associated with malnutrition.