Get Help Managing Celiac Disease

Health-care practitioners and researchers say consulting with a skilled dietetics professional is the first step in managing celiac disease, caused by an immune response to the gluten in certain common grains.

A panel convened by the National Institutes of Health assessed all of the available scientific evidence on celiac disease.

Based on its assessment, the panel identified six elements essential to treating celiac disease once it is diagnosed:

C: Consultation with a skilled registered dietitian
E: Education about the disease
L: Lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet
I: Identification and treatment of nutritional deficiencies
A: Access to an advocacy group
C: Continuous long-term follow-up

Previously believed to be rare, celiac disease is present in 0.5 to 1 percent of the U.S. population, 10 times higher than former estimates. The panel found that increasing awareness and appropriate use of available testing may lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for celiac patients.