|
Our Challenge
The prevalence of celiac disease in the
US
has been estimated to be as high as 1 in 133 individuals. At the same time, only
1 in 4700 individuals have been diagnosed with celiac disease. The average delay
in diagnosis for a person with symptoms is 11 years. On average, a child will
visit 8 pediatricians before being diagnosed with celiac disease.
Undiagnosed celiac patients are at greater risk
of osteoporosis, anemia, infertility, Type 1 diabetes and other serious
illnesses, in addition to suffering ongoing health problems that can compromise
quality of life.
Once diagnosed, people with celiac disease
often receive no instruction on the only medical intervention to treat their
condition: the gluten-free diet. As a result, the newly diagnosed celiac
struggles to learn the diet on his/her own, often consuming gluten by mistake
and delaying their recovery.
|
Our mission is to raise diagnosis rates for celiac
disease and meet the critical needs of people with the condition, through
education, research and advocacy.
-
Our Programs
-
Celiac Disease Information Line
-
Providing medical
information to help people receive a timely celiac diagnosis, and counsel to
physicians with questions about celiac disease testing.
Gluten-Free
Care Package Program
Basket of food and
resource materials helps to instruct dietitians and newly diagnosed patients on
the gluten-free diet.
-
Annual
Celiac Blood Screening
-
Free research blood
screening each Fall draws participants throughout the
Midwest,
helps families overcome problems with insurance.
-
Patient
and Professional Education
-
A team of speakers works year-round to educate medical
professionals, people with celiac disease and the public about diagnosing
and treating this condition.
-
Celiac Disease Research
-
We have one of two
research teams in the world that is working to understand the nature of the
immune system in the gut and the earliest response of the intestine to the
presence of gluten. Research is currently underway in our dedicated celiac
disease laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Bana Jabri, a world renown
celiac researcher.
|
