Celiac disease awareness is growing, but misinformation still abounds. Here are 15 celiac disease facts every doctor, patient and member of the public should know.

1. 1 in 700 –

The average prevalence of celiac disease in the United States 1950. (Mayo)

2. 1 in 100 –

The average worldwide prevalence of celiac disease across all races today. (NIH) The average prevalence of celiac disease in the United States today. (Mayo)

3. $8,500 – The average annual estimated healthcare cost of each person with untreated celiac disease in the United States. (Cigna/Columbia Celiac Disease Center study) Read More »

Who has celiac disease? While you cannot tell just by looking at a person, there are some common issues that can point doctors in the direction of celiac disease. Here is a list of 8 things that make a person more likely to have celiac disease.

1. Celiac disease is the most common genetic autoimmune disease in the world. Celiac disease runs in families. First degree relatives are found to have celiac disease 4% to 12%. Second degree relatives also appear to have a higher prevalence.

2. 100% of people with dermatitis herpetiformis, an intensely itchy chronic skin condition, have celiac disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis is the skin expression of celiac disease. It is an intensely itchy rash that sometime occurs symmetrically on the arms and legs, but may present anywhere.

3. 1 in 5 people with collagenous colitis have celiac disease. 20% of people with collagenous colitis have celiac disease. Collagenous colitis is inflammation in the lining of the colon. It can only be seen under a microscope. Everyone diagnosed with collagenous colitis should be tested for celiac disease.

4. Up to 8% of people with Type 1 diabetes have celiac disease. People with diabetes and celiac disease have been found to have similarities in their genes with seven common alleles. Everyone diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes should be tested for celiac disease.

5. One in ten people with Downs syndrome have celiac disease. Celiac disease affects 10% of persons with Downs syndrome. Proper diagnosis and treatment with a gluten-free diet has been found to improve symptoms and quality of life. Everyone diagnosed with Downs syndrome should be tested for celiac disease.

6. Almost 7% of persons with cardiomyopathy have celiac disease. Cardiomyopathy is an enlargement of heart chambers and subsequent reduction in their ability to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy responds to a gluten-free diet, possibly because nutrients like carnatine are better absorbed. Everyone diagnosed with cardiomyopathy should be tested for celiac disease.

7. Until recently, celiac disease was thought to be a rare disease affecting less than 1 in 5,000 children. It is now know to affect 1 in 100 persons and can present symptoms at any stage during life. That means it affects children and adults.

8. 

   Multi Generation Family Sitting On Garden Seat

   Celiac disease is a permanent condition but was previously thought to be temporary affliction that children could “grow out of.” Once the immune system has been triggered, it forever identifies gluten as a poison or foreign body within the system. That means it will always attack when gluten is eaten. This attack causes inflammation, intestinal damage, and malabsorption of nutrients.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Here are 10 quick facts you can pass along to your friends and family to help increase awareness.

1. Celiac Disease is not an allergy. It is an autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten in wheat, barley, rye and oats.
2. You cannot “grow out” of celiac disease. It is a lifelong condition.
3. The most common “look” of celiac disease is…totally normal. Not fat. Not skinny.
4. Celiac Disease is the most commonly “missed” diagnosis in medicine. Over 85% of people with celiac disease go undiagnosed.
5. Celiac Disease damage is cumulative. The longer it goes on, the worse symptoms and associated conditions become.
6. Celiac Disease is real. It has existed for thousands of years, but has grown in prevalence. Tests have only recently been developed to detect it.
7. Undiagnosed and untreated celiac disease costs billions of dollars each year in treatment for symptoms and complications as well as lost productivity.
8. Celiac Disease is COMMON, affecting an estimated 1 in 100 persons. That said, it was thought the prevalence was 1 in 5,000 less than 10 years ago and 1 in 15,000 before that. The true prevalence may be higher.
9. Celiac Disease symptoms can present at any age. 9 months. 9 years. 90 years. Often, symptoms present early, but are not recognized.
10. Celiac Disease tests are not pass/fail and not foolproof. Tests should be administered again if symptoms persist because a “negative” can become a positive at a later date.

You may have heard that gluten can cause over 300 signs, symptoms, associated disorders and complications. This is true and we were the ones who brought this to light in our 2007 medical reference, Recognizing Celiac Disease.

This video uses our Gluten Free Works Health Guide to show you how gluten causes hundreds of health problems in a cascading effect.

What started as the printed book in 2007, has developed into an all encompassing online health manual that we know can revolutionize how celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and healthcare are treated by professionals and people at home.

Subscribe to the Gluten Free Works Health Guide to recover your health and stay healthy.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. About 99% of this essential nutrient is contained in bones and teeth with the rest being in blood and other tissues. Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth and for nerve conduction, muscle contraction, heart muscle function, blood pressure regulation, glycogen to glucose conversion, initiation of blood clotting, many hormone actions, many enzyme activities and making acetylcholine, an important chemical for nerve transmission. Calcium plays a part in the prevention of colon cancer.

Most importantly, calcium opposes phosphorus as a buffer to maintain the acid-alkaline balance of the blood and is critical for milk production in the nursing of infants.

Calcium absorption in the small intestine is complex and has specific requirements.  Read More »

Humans have been eating bread for thousands of years. Like this meme says, it seems like gluten reactions are exploding. So, what is going on? Are more people reacting? Is it being better diagnosed? This video explains!

Osteoporosis, or brittle bones, is a generalized bone disorder involving the slow loss of bone mass throughout the skeleton that results in diminished bone mineral density (BMD). Thinning, fragile bones maintain normal cell appearance but have a rapid turnover so that more bone is taken up and removed than is laid down. The result is bone weakness that predisposes people with osteoporosis to fractures.

Osteopenia refers to the progression of bone tissue loss in the range between normal to osteoporosis.

What are Bones?

Bones are dynamic structures made up of living connective tissue and certain minerals. Connective tissue provides the shape of bones and holds calcium phosphate mineral for hardness and Read More »

Muscle weakness is the lack of muscle strength to perform physical work that we should be able to do, such as lifting objects, climbing steps or simply walking or getting up from a chair. Muscle weakness is different from muscle fatigue, which is the lack of energy to continue physical work once begun. Muscle weakness is also different from lassitude, or chronic fatigue, which is the feeling of tiredness or exhaustion but without loss of muscle strength.

Muscle weakness is common in celiac disease. It may stem from one or more nutrient deficiencies, associated disorders or complications. This article addresses only nutritional causes of muscle weakness resulting from malabsorption and/or loss of minerals from diarrhea or vomiting. Read More »

Guidelines for the treatment of IBS published by the American College of Gastroenterology include screening for celiac disease. These guidelines were established in 2008.

New IBS Guidelines Offer Treatment Ideas

American College of Gastroenterology Updates Recommendations for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
By Bill Hendrick

WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDDec. 19, 2008 — New guidelines have been issued by the nation’s gastroenterologists that are aimed at easing the abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which afflicts millions of Americans.

The guidelines, issued by the American College of Gastroenterology, also offer hope to patients who’ve struggled with the condition and found satisfactory treatments lacking. Read More »

Photo credit: Oral Source

Dentistry Blog

By Tammy Davenport, About.com Guide to Dentistry since 2005

Celiac disease causes the body’s immune system to damage and attack the small intestine upon consumption of proteins in barley, rye, wheat and possibly oats. Since there are no specific blood tests to determine if someone has Celiac disease, doctors use blood tests to look for certain autoantibodies and biopsy the small intestine to look for traits of Celiac disease. Nancy Lapid, our Guide to Celiac Disease, points out that certain dental conditions are more common in people with this disease, which puts dentists in a good position to help notice when a patient might Read More »