Screening for celiac disease involves testing asymptomatic people for the antibodies to gluten. Americans are not routinely screened for celiac disease. However, because celiac disease is hereditary, family members - - particularly first degree relatives - of people who have been diagnosed may need to be tested for the disease. About 10 percent of a person's first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) will also have the disease. The longer a person goes undiagnosed and untreated, the greater the chance of developing malnutrition and other complications.

Note: In Italy, where celiac disease is common, all children are screened by age 6 so that even asymptomatic disease is caught early. In addition, Italians of any age are tested fort he disease as soon as they show symptoms. As a result of this vigilance, the time between when symptoms begin and when the disease is diagnosed is usually only two to three weeks. In the US, the time between first symptoms and diagnosis averages about ten years!

Also, it is estimated that in the US, 1 in 10,000 people are diagnosed with celiac disease when in reality, 1 in 133 people have the disease.

Next... What is the Treatment?



More Information...
What is Celiac Disease?
What are the Symptoms?
How is Celiac Disease Diagnosed?
Screening
What is the Treatment?
The Gluten-Free Diet
What are the Complications of Celiac Disease?
How Common is Celiac Disease?
Dermatitis Herpetiformis