Did you know that people with Type 1 diabetes are at greater risk of having celiac disease as well?
The odds are five to seven times greater than the general population. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition causing an inflammatory state of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals and resolves when gluten is removed from the diet. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the lining of the small intestine, which can affect how nutrients are absorbed by the body.
Celiac disease can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, constipation, malnutrition, abdominal pain and bloating. However, in people with Type 1 diabetes, more than half have no symptoms of celiac disease when they are diagnosed. It is recommended that children and adults with diabetes undergo screening because of the known connection between celiac and Type 1 diabetes.
The Celiac Disease and Diabetes-Dietary Intervention and Evaluation Trial (CD-DIET) is a screening and dietary intervention study looking into the question of whether people with Type 1 diabetes (who don’t have symptoms of celiac but who test positive) may benefit from a gluten-free diet. CD-DIET Study is offering a blood test at no cost to determine whether you or your child have celiac disease. The research study is recruiting people between the ages of 8-45 years who’ve had Type 1 diabetes for more than one year, who have not been previously diagnosed with celiac disease or who have no symptoms of the disease. Screening for celiac disease is ongoing across the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario.
If you or someone you know are interested in learning more about the CD-DIET Study and would like to know which screening location is closest to you, please contact the CD-DIET Study Staff at (416) 813-7654 ext. 201713 or cd.diet@sickkids.ca. You can learn more about this on www.celiacanddiabetes.com