Coeliac Disease (CD) is not only under-diagnosed but also an under-managed condition, associated with serious long-term complications. Patients can present with the classical ‘symptomatic’ features of CD or they can present with secondary CD, where the pathology occurs with no overt gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms; commonly picked up by case-finding.
Who to test
Examples of co-morbid conditions where case-finding for CD is recommended include:
- IBS: CD-like symptoms occur in up to 50% of patients2
- Type 1 diabetes: Up to 6% of patients will also have CD. Managing CD can improve diabetic control3,4
- Sub-fertility and poor pregnancy outcomes: Up to 8% of women with unexplained infertility may have CD5
- Osteoporosis: Up to 7% of patients will also have CD6
- Addison’s disease: Up to one third of patients will have CD4
- Sjögren’s syndrome: 4.5-15% of patients will have CD4
- Autoimmune thyroid disorders: Up to 6% of patients may have CD7
- First-degree relatives: Up to 5% of a patient’s first-degree relatives will also have CD8
The early identification and appropriate management of patients with CD improves clinical outcomes including reducing the risk of cancer, reversing symptoms, and improving QoL. Additionally, diagnosis and treatment of CD significantly reduces costs of other irrelevant tests by 29% and referral by 37%.1
Testing for Coeliac Disease
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