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New hope for people who can’t eat gluten because of celiac disease

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By Georgia Lambert via SWNS

Targeted testing could improve the diagnosis of celiac disease, according to a new study.

Around one in 100 people in the US suffer from the condition where the immune system attacks a person's own tissues in the digestive system when they eat gluten.

Because some patients may not show symptoms, while others may experience non-specific problems such as indigestion and bloating, the condition is difficult for doctors to diagnose.

In fact, it's believed that only one in three people with celiac disease receive a confirmed diagnosis, after undergoing blood tests and biopsies of the gut.

However complex the diagnosis process may be, the treatment is a simple, gluten-free diet.

To gain a better understanding of the condition and who would benefit from the diagnosing process, a new study found that a targeted testing approach on individuals showing a range of signs and symptoms could be the answer.

Current guidelines recommend that adults and children who are “at high risk” of suffering from celiac disease should be offered to undergo further testing.

However, until now, it has not been clear which groups of people are at high enough risk to justify the lengthy routine testing involved or, which symptoms should lead to testing.

The team, led by University of Bristol researchers, analyzed the results from 191 studies and reported on the 26 tell-tale signs and risk factors which informed their final findings.

The finding showed "strong evidence" that people with a family history of the disease, dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition caused by a reaction to gluten), anemia, type 1 diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic liver disease or migraines, are more than twice as likely to have celiac disease than the general population.

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The researchers also found that close relatives of people with celiac disease are three times as likely to suffer from it themselves.

According to the scientists, these signs and symptoms could help narrow down the people who would benefit most from testing.

Although suffering from migraines or chronic liver disease is not yet considered a risk factor in the official guidelines, the researchers have suggested that it may be appropriate for these to be included.

Surprisingly, other signs including gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation and abdominal pain, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, were not shown to be reliable indicators of the disease.

Study leader Dr. Martha Elwenspoek, a research fellow at Bristol Medical School, said: “Getting a diagnosis for celiac disease is really important for people as it can be the first step in getting appropriate treatment and reducing negative effects later in life.

"Our study pinpoints which symptoms warrant further testing for celiac disease, which could help streamline the process of getting a diagnosis and in turn improve outcomes for those patients.”

Black, red, brown and white rice seeds on wooden scoop, concept of gluten free nutrition
However complex the diagnosis process may be, the treatment is a simple, gluten-free diet. (Shutterstock)

Dr. Elwenspoek and her team went on to suggest that future research should focus on the value of combining risk factors when predicting the presence of celiac disease.

For example, if a patient suffers from anemia and migraines at the same time, they may be at an even higher risk of celiac disease.

By using this approach and recording the results within the patient's electronic health records, the researchers are confident that diagnoses could be improved.

The findings were published in the journal PLOS One.

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