Many alternative medicine claims unproven, ineffective for celiac disease

In a study of 500 alternative medicine providers, a significant number advertised tests or treatments for celiac disease with claims that are either false or unproven, according to Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, director of clinical research at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center. See the Reuters Article referencing The American Journal of Gastroenterology article here.

Low-gluten diet benefits may be due to low fiber

Healthy adults had less bloating, increased well-being, and a small but significant weight loss on low-gluten compared with high-gluten diets, a study published in Nature Communications found. However, the study found those benefits may be linked to the diet’s dietary fiber rather than lack of gluten. “Gluten-free may not necessarily be the healthy choice many

No microscopic colitis risk with gluten

An association between celiac disease and microscopic colitis has long been recognized. A study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology explored the possibility of non-celiac sensitivity to gluten. The results suggested eating a diet that contains gluten did not increase the risk for microscopic colitis in women who do not already have celiac disease. See

Celiac disease tied to functional dyspepsia

Celiac disease patients experience higher rates of functional dyspepsia, according to a study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Researchers also found an association between self-diagnosed wheat sensitivity (with no history of celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or colorectal cancer) and irritable bowel syndrome. See the article on Clinical Advisor here.

Few with celiac indications get tested

About 38% of 400 patients with undiagnosed celiac disease had one or more indicators for testing, but only 4.4% received testing, according to a study in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. “Gastroenterologists should think about celiac disease more broadly — not just as a gastrointestinal condition but also as a systemic disorder with multiple

FDA issues guidance on gluten labeling for drugs

The FDA released draft recommendations for including gluten content on labels for oral drug products, saying the goal is to reduce uncertainty among health care practitioners and patients. Most oral medications contain very little or no gluten, the agency said. See the review on Healio (free registration)

Celiac disease linked to many other medical conditions

An analysis of the Explorys database, which contains EHR data from 26 major US health care systems, linked celiac disease with a range of medical conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis, colitis and autism, researchers reported at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG2017. The rate of celiac disease is almost 20 times higher in

Children with diabetes at risk for celiac

Celiac disease is seen more frequently in youth with type 1 diabetes, but there are variations between countries in how often the two conditions occur together, according to an Australian study in the journal Diabetes Care. The study found 3.5% of young people with diabetes had celiac disease, with the prevalence ranging from 1.9% in