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I came across this press release today. While the information isn't new to
most of us, it's nice to get the publicity!

Lani K. Thompson
Stoneham, Maine
Celiac Disease Not As Uncommon As Once Thought, Say Researchers
at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Celiac disease is common in the United
States and often goes undiagnosed, according to a study published in the
January edition of the Journal of Pediatrics by physicians at Wake
Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the University of
Maryland.

Estimated to affect 1 in 150-200 people in Europe, celiac disease is a
genetic disorder that results in a sensitivity to gluten from wheat, rye or
barley products. If left untreated, celiac disease keeps the body from
absorbing needed vitamins and minerals, often leaving a patient anemic
and malnourished.

However, treatment is not painful, according to Ivor D. Hill, M.D., a
pediatric gastroenterologist and expert on celiac disease at Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical Center.

"By following a gluten-free diet, patients will experience no symptoms
and lead healthy, normal lives," Hill said. "However, it is easier said than
done in some cases. Patients have to diligently find ways to prepare
foods without these products. It's a matter of knowing what is good for
you and incorporating it into your diet."

Before this study, celiac disease was generally believed to be rare in the
United States, according to Hill.

"Studies conducted by me and collaborating colleagues at the University
of Maryland, confirm the condition is not rare in the United States and is
as common as in Europe," he said.

Because of a lack of awareness of the many ways it can manifest, celiac
disease has taken an average of 11 years to diagnose and patients who
suffer from it are often first diagnosed with other conditions such as
irritable bowel syndrome and lactose intolerance.

A diagnosis of celiac disease requires microscopic examination of a
small piece of tissue from the intestinal lining (biopsy) obtained during an
endoscopic procedure, according to Hill.

"Celiac disease can be extremely varied in presentation and physicians
must have a high index of suspicion when trying to diagnosis it," Hill said.
"Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is one of the few
centers in the country conducting research on the disorder."

The disorder can be asymptomatic for many years, then a stressor can
trigger the disease, causing the patient to experience symptoms including
bouts of diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain when exposed to foods
containing gluten.

A total of 1,200 individuals took part in this study.