The standard method of diagnosing celiac disease in symptomatic persons older than 2 years is the tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA test, followed by intestinal biopsy for histologic confirmation. The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for celiac in asymptomatic persons according to the recommendations on screening for celiac disease published online in JAMA. They also found inadequate evidence for the effectiveness of targeted screening in persons who are at increased risk of celiac, such as patients who already have an autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes mellitus, inflammatory luminal gastrointestinal disorders, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, IgA deficiency, and/or IgA nephropathy, or those with a family history of celiac. They also found the evidence provided on the effectiveness of treatment of screen-detected, symptomatic celiac disease to improve morbidity, mortality, or quality of life compared with no treatment or treatment initiated after clinical diagnosis to be inadequate as well. Research suggests that celiac is not associated with excess mortality, intestinal adenocarcinoma, and lymphoma; however, evidence is insufficient as to whether silent, or asymptomatic, disease has the same risk as symptomatic disease.
I disagree with the research because I believe that your risk for several cancers and other serious conditions increases due to the chronic inflammatory state.
Most insurances cover standard celiac panels and we order more - HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 plus food allergies both IgE and IgG. Thorough testing gives a more accurate diagnosis.
Schedule your consult to see if you have the most common hidden autoimmune disease and if you are gluten sensitive.
For complete information, see:
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Celiac Disease US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2017;317(12):1252-1257.
