Consequences of testing for celiac disease

Population screening for coeliac disease in a low prevalence area in Italy

“…Considering that none of the CD patients diagnosed by our screening procedures reported specific clinical symptoms, they should be considered as ''silent'' CD [6]. On the other hand, for some of them, laboratory tests performed after diagnosis showed clear clinical signs (reduced bone mineral density, anaemia) attributable to CD.…”

“…Although the natural history of such ''silent'' forms remains unclear [6], there is evidence to show that in subjects with undiagnosed or untreated CD daily ingestion of wheat, rye and barley may result in long-term extraintestinal manifestations, such as anaemia, osteoporosis, infertility, concurrent autoimmune diseases and also small-bowel lymphoma, leading to increased morbidity and mortality compared with the general population [7 Á10]. Early diagnosis may decrease the risk of complications by reducing the duration of gluten exposure [10,11].…”

The Canadian Celiac Health Survey

“…This may, in part, reflect cortical bone loss that results from secondary hyperparathyroidism, which is common in celiac disease [55]. Many researchers have reported improvements in bone density resulting from treatment with a gluten-free diet, especially during the first year of treatment [56].…”

Systematic review: the evidence base for long‐term management of coeliac disease

“…[46][47][48][49][50] Such a mechanism probably underlies the greater reduction in BMD in patients with villous atrophy compared with those with less histologic severity. 51,52 Treatment with GFD and the subsequent reduction in systemic inflammation are associated with improved BMD 53-60 as outlined above.…”