Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is at least four times as common today as it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology.
The study also found that subjects who unknowingly had celiac disease were nearly four times as likely as celiac-free subjects to have died during the 45 years of follow-up.
In the video files below, Joseph Murray, M.D., the Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who led the study, describes the study findings and provides background on the disease, its symptoms and treatment.
ClevelandClinic, October 11, 2010: Celiac disease is when the body doesn't tolerate gluten very well - the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with celiac disease eat gluten it damages the small instestines. Symptoms are gas, bloating, indigestion, fatigue, and headaches. This disease is diagnosed by a blood test.
Related:
Celiac disease confers a 1.6-fold increased risk of asthma, JACI 2011, http://goo.gl/dhxKX
