From Rueters health information comes the following write-up about Gluten Reactivity prevalence.
For years it has been known that Celiac and Gluten Reaction have been under diagnosed/under reported.
In my opinion, and this is based on my patient base, the numbers are even higher than this.
This study states that basically Celiac is a "white persons" problem, I beg to differ, study after study out of North Africa and the Middle East shows that CD (Celiac disease) is as prevalent in those countries as it is in America. These are countries that are populated with non-white people that have the same burden of CD on that populace as do we.
It boils down to this, and forgive me if this is hard for you to believe, but in America most studies (done above the table and legally with the subject a willing participant) are done on whites, now why do you think this is the case?
I can only venture to guess that the drug companies or whomever is in charge, has done some very heavy research into what group of people are most profitable in the area of drug distribution and the results have been the guiding hand of research all these years.
If I am wrong just show me some research that bears out, in equal proportion to the population of the races that make up our United States, an equal amount of health based studies.
If anyone can show me, unbiased, accurate and real information that the same percentage of African American, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians receive the same percentage of outcome focused, health based research.
Studies that are from varied areas of our health sector and not just the same old "Diabetes in African American Males, a Cohort Study" then I will retract this writing and issue a formal apology to all of America's citizens...(don't hold your breath, which the length of time for breath holding has been studied across the races and it will surely lead to death in this case...)
Studies that are from varied areas of our health sector and not just the same old "Diabetes in African American Males, a Cohort Study" then I will retract this writing and issue a formal apology to all of America's citizens...(don't hold your breath, which the length of time for breath holding has been studied across the races and it will surely lead to death in this case...)
My point, finally, is that in my patient base I have an equal amount of whites and non-whites that have Gluten Reactive Disorders and I am sure that all across America the same holds true....
Until next time, enjoy some gluten free cookies and read the Rueters Paper below...
Dr. Walter K. Crooks
Chiropractic Clinical Neurologist
http://lifechangingcarehouston.com
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One of every 100 U.S. whites has celiac disease
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One percent of non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. - close to two million Americans - have celiac disease, but most are not aware they suffer the gluten-intolerance problem, according to a new study.
The results back up earlier estimates of how common celiac disease is in the U.S. and Europe, the researchers say. They also support evidence that the condition is far more rare among Hispanics and blacks.
"This one...is pretty much in line with what was shown before," said Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland, who was not involved in the study.
Fasano said that despite how common the condition is in the U.S, he's not surprised that few people have been diagnosed with it.
"The symptoms are so vague and non-specific that it's very difficult to point to celiac disease when you have (for instance) chronic fatigue or anemia or joint pain," Fasano said.
Celiac disease is mainly a gastrointestinal disorder, and when people who have it eat gluten, they experience an immune reaction that damages the intestinal lining.
Most studies to determine how widespread the condition is have been done in Europe, so the researchers sought to get a sharper estimate of celiac disease in the U.S.
Dr. James Everhart, at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, along with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic and in Sweden, used data from a large, ongoing national study of health and nutrition.
About 7,800 people participated in the celiac survey, and gave a blood sample that was tested for signs of the immune response to gluten that characterizes celiac disease.
The researchers, who published their study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found evidence of celiac disease in 35 people, 29 of whom were not aware of their sensitivity to gluten.
Six of the 35 people with celiac disease were not white.
Everhart says that based on the number of non-whites in the study - 4,368 - having just six test positive illustrates that celiac disease is pretty rare among non-whites.
"I think we confirmed the clinical suspicion that this is largely a condition found among non-Hispanic whites in this country," he told Reuters Health.
Celiac disease is managed by following a gluten-free diet, which involves avoiding foods such as wheat, rye and barley.
In the study, 55 people reported that they followed a gluten-free diet, although only six of them tested positive for celiac disease.
Based on his clinical experience, Fasano said there are a number of people who choose to abstain from gluten not for medical reasons, but for other perceived health benefits.
"They believe, right or wrong, that gluten is not good for them," he said.
Although awareness of celiac disease has increased in the U.S., the study shows that few people are aware that they may have it themselves.
"This is a big issue," said Everhart, and the study does not lay out a clear path for trying to identify more people suffering with the disease.
"Screening everybody is not the way to go," said Fasano.
Celiac disease can develop at any age, making it difficult to know when to test people who don't have symptoms.
"If you don't have symptoms, it's hard to say categorically that identifying you as having this condition is going to do a lot of good at this point. That's for (other) studies to determine," said Everhart.
Everhart and his colleagues are continuing the survey to gather more numbers showing which groups of people appear to be most at risk of celiac disease, and whether the health of people with celiac disease is different from those without it.
SOURCE: bit.ly/OYbmxr American Journal of Gastroenterology, online July 31, 2012.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One percent of non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. - close to two million Americans - have celiac disease, but most are not aware they suffer the gluten-intolerance problem, according to a new study.
The results back up earlier estimates of how common celiac disease is in the U.S. and Europe, the researchers say. They also support evidence that the condition is far more rare among Hispanics and blacks.
"This one...is pretty much in line with what was shown before," said Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland, who was not involved in the study.
Fasano said that despite how common the condition is in the U.S, he's not surprised that few people have been diagnosed with it.
"The symptoms are so vague and non-specific that it's very difficult to point to celiac disease when you have (for instance) chronic fatigue or anemia or joint pain," Fasano said.
Celiac disease is mainly a gastrointestinal disorder, and when people who have it eat gluten, they experience an immune reaction that damages the intestinal lining.
Most studies to determine how widespread the condition is have been done in Europe, so the researchers sought to get a sharper estimate of celiac disease in the U.S.
Dr. James Everhart, at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, along with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic and in Sweden, used data from a large, ongoing national study of health and nutrition.
About 7,800 people participated in the celiac survey, and gave a blood sample that was tested for signs of the immune response to gluten that characterizes celiac disease.
The researchers, who published their study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found evidence of celiac disease in 35 people, 29 of whom were not aware of their sensitivity to gluten.
Six of the 35 people with celiac disease were not white.
Everhart says that based on the number of non-whites in the study - 4,368 - having just six test positive illustrates that celiac disease is pretty rare among non-whites.
"I think we confirmed the clinical suspicion that this is largely a condition found among non-Hispanic whites in this country," he told Reuters Health.
Celiac disease is managed by following a gluten-free diet, which involves avoiding foods such as wheat, rye and barley.
In the study, 55 people reported that they followed a gluten-free diet, although only six of them tested positive for celiac disease.
Based on his clinical experience, Fasano said there are a number of people who choose to abstain from gluten not for medical reasons, but for other perceived health benefits.
"They believe, right or wrong, that gluten is not good for them," he said.
Although awareness of celiac disease has increased in the U.S., the study shows that few people are aware that they may have it themselves.
"This is a big issue," said Everhart, and the study does not lay out a clear path for trying to identify more people suffering with the disease.
"Screening everybody is not the way to go," said Fasano.
Celiac disease can develop at any age, making it difficult to know when to test people who don't have symptoms.
"If you don't have symptoms, it's hard to say categorically that identifying you as having this condition is going to do a lot of good at this point. That's for (other) studies to determine," said Everhart.
Everhart and his colleagues are continuing the survey to gather more numbers showing which groups of people appear to be most at risk of celiac disease, and whether the health of people with celiac disease is different from those without it.
SOURCE: bit.ly/OYbmxr American Journal of Gastroenterology, online July 31, 2012.
Reuters Health
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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