Coeliac disease plea

Monday June 1st, 2009

Campaigners are urging doctors to be made aware of new guidelines that help in the diagnosis of coeliac disease.

The guidelines were issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence last week.

According to NICE, as few as ten per cent of the people who suffer from the condition may be undiagnosed.

It estimates that one per cent of the population suffer from the condition, which means they cannot eat wheat and foods with gluten.

NICE says doctors who see symptoms such as chronic diarrhoea should refer children and adults for testing.

TV doctor Chris Steele is backing a campaign by Coeliac UK to spread news about the new guidelines.

He said: "It is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Working together we can help find the half a million people in the UK who are undiagnosed and ensure that they receive the best advice and assistance."

Dr Fergus Macbeth, of NICE, said: "The NICE clinical guideline on coeliac disease will provide healthcare professionals with a tool to help diagnose and manage the condition, based upon the best available evidence.

"Providing clarity to healthcare professionals will enable them to provide better support to people with coeliac disease which in turn will give them more confidence to cope with living with the condition."

Tags: Allergies & Asthma | Gastroenterology | Nutrition & Healthy Eating | UK News

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