97 percent of American celiacs are not diagnosed - Cynthia Kupper

I will be at this conference next week. Cynthia Kupper slept at Chicken
Paradise only a few weeks ago! Another celiac celebrity!

Anne Barfield
www.chickenparadise.com

From: Celiac/Coeliac Wheat/Gluten-Free List
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 11:43 PM

Event dates: June 9-11, Sheraton City Centre Hotel 150 West 500 South,
Salt
Lake City, UT 84101

"97 percent of Americans with celiac disease are still not diagnosed"
National celiac disease experts to gather in Salt Lake City, discuss new
research, share coping tips, raise awareness for the undiagnosed June
9-11

Salt Lake City, June 1, 2006 - The National Institutes of Health reports
that
1 of every 133 Americans have a serious illness called celiac disease,
also
known as gluten intolerance, but, only a small fraction of people living
with
celiac disease in the U.S. have been diagnosed. National celiac disease
experts
will gather in Salt Lake City June 9-11 to present research, health and
coping tips for the diagnosed and raise awareness of this insidious
disease
for the
undiagnosed.

The experts will be in Salt Lake City as part of the Gluten Intolerance
Group
of North America's national education conference to be held at the Salt
Lake
City Sheraton City Centre hotel, 150 West 500 South.

Key presenters at the conference include: Dr. Alessio Fasano, University
of
Maryland Center for Celiac Research, who will present advances in celiac
research; Dr. John Zone, University of Utah School of Medicine, who will
discuss the
latest developments related to skin health as it pertains to celiac
disease;
Dr. Janet Harnsberger, private practice pediatrician associated with
Primary
Children's Medical Center, who will present issues related to raising
children
with celiac disease; Carol Fenster, Ph.D. and consultant, who will
demonstrate
how to cook baked delicacies without wheat; and Shelley Case, registered
dietician, who will detail the basics of the gluten free diet.

Once thought rare, celiac disease is associated with and can lead to as
many
as 200 other diseases and conditions including osteoporosis, lymphoma,
stomach
cancer, anemia, lactose intolerance, dermatitis herpetiformis (a
burning,
itching and blistering rash), Type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, down
syndrome,
unexplained infertility, miscarriage, neurological conditions,
rheumatoid
arthritus and many others.

"Many people have no symptoms and are not aware of the potential,
devastating
affects of the disease," said Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the
national GIG and a registered dietician. "Others suffer painful and
often
baffling
symptoms and spend an average of 11 years seeking a diagnosis. They
often
endure uncomfortable procedures to rule out other illnesses before their
celiac
disease is diagnosed. Because we know that celiac disease runs in
families,
and
with better awareness and education such as that provided at our annual
conference, Americans will be able to ask their doctors for a new,
fairly
simple
blood test."

Celiac disease is a chronic, inherited disease which is the result of an
immune-mediated response to eating gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye
and
barley) that damages the small intestine. The propensity for celiac
disease
can
trigger at anytime in a person's life. Typical triggers can include
stress,
surgery, pregnancy, giving birth, viral infections, or any life altering
or
traumatic event.

There is no pill for celiac disease at this time. The only treatment is
following a life-long gluten-free diet. Foods, beverages, and
medications
that
contain wheat, barley, rye, and cross contaminated oats must be
eliminated
completely. Based on current research, the National Institutes of Health
predicts
that 2 million Americans have celiac disease and estimates that only
60,000
have
been diagnosed. Many more people suffer varying degrees of gluten
intolerance.
To learn more, go to www.nih.gov.

About the Gluten Intolerance Group
A not-for-profit organization, the Gluten Intolerance Group's mission is
to
increase awareness of and knowledge about celiac disease, a common, but
highly u
nder-diagnosed illness. To learn more, go to www.gluten.net.

Media contact: Barb Shelley, Gluten Intolerance Group,
shelleycomm@comcast.net

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