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The material below was forwarded to me.  I am sending it on for everyone.

MJ

__________________________

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 
NIH News 
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/ 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 18, 2006

CONTACT: Melissa McGowan, 301-496-3583, [log in to unmask] 

NIH LAUNCHES CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
AND PUBLIC

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced the launch of a
campaign to heighten awareness of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder
that interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. The campaign
stems from consensus recommendations of an independent panel of experts
convened by the NIH to assess current diagnosis, treatment, and management
of the disease.

"We now know that celiac disease is more prevalent that previously thought
-- affecting nearly 1 percent of the U.S. population -- and remains
under-diagnosed," said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., acting director of the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
the NIH institute leading the effort. "Through the campaign, we hope to
increase physician awareness of the disease, resulting in earlier
diagnosis and better outcomes for celiac patients."

Developed by the NIDDK, with coordination among the professional and
voluntary organizations working on celiac disease, the campaign offers
materials and resources for health professionals and the public about the
symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management of celiac disease. The
campaign offers fact sheets, booklets, practice tools for health
professionals, NIH research information, and resources from professional
and voluntary organizations that focus on celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to gluten, a protein found in
wheat, rye, and barley. Symptoms of celiac disease range from gas,
diarrhea, and abdominal pain, to delayed growth, certain skin rashes,
infertility, and osteoporosis. Treatment for celiac disease is adherence
to a gluten-free diet.

"One of the challenges with celiac disease is the vast array of symptoms
associated with the disease," said Stephen P. James, M.D., director of the
Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN) at the NIDDK. "We are
hoping to educate health professionals and the public that celiac disease
is not only a gastrointestinal disease."

For more information about the campaign or to download any of the campaign
materials, visit www.celiac.nih.gov. For more information about the
consensus development panel's recommendations, visit
http://consensus.nih.gov/2004/2004CeliacDisease118html.htm.

The NIDDK, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts and
supports research on diabetes; endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive
diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic
diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of
all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most
common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- "The Nation's Medical Research
Agency" -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal
agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational
medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures
for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
programs, visit www.nih.gov.
  
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This NIH News Release is available online at:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2006/niddk-18.htm.


 
--
 MJ Thomas
 [log in to unmask]
 In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!

* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC