Celiac Disease overview

Celiac disease is a chronic condition mainly affecting the small intestine. It is a permanent sensitivity to gluten, a protein from wheat, rye, and barley. In affected individuals, eating food containing gluten leads to damage to the finger-like projections, or villi, lining the small intestine. Other names include celiac sprue and gluten sensitive enteropathy. Celiac disease is considered an auto-immune disorder, in which the body attacks itself.

It is estimated that 1 in every 100 to 200 people in the United States and Europe have celiac disease. People at higher risk for celiac disease are those that have type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome or have a relative with celiac disease. You may still have celiac disease even though you are not in a group at higher risk.

View the   on Celiac Disease, June 28 - 30, 2004.

View the CDHNF brochure on Celiac Disease