Gluten-free Diet and Quality of Life in Patients with Screen-detected Celiac Disease

The following Medline abstract describes a unique study that was done on the quality of life of two groups of people with celiac disease: One that was diagnosed as the result of having symptoms, and the other which had little or no symptoms and whose diagnosis was reached via screen-detection. Both groups were treated for one year with a gluten-free diet, and were then studied to determine their overall response, including their psychological response. Here is the abstract:

Eff Clin Pract 2002 May-Jun;5(3):105-13
Mustalahti K, Lohiniemi S, Collin P, Vuolteenaho N, Laippala P, Maki M.
Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.

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CONTEXT: Since the advent of serologic testing for celiac disease, most persons who receive a diagnosis of celiac disease have few or no symptoms. Although pathologic changes of celiac disease resolve on a gluten-free diet, how a gluten-free diet affects the quality of life for patients with screen-detected celiac disease is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a gluten-free diet on the quality of life of patients with screen-detected celiac disease.

DESIGN: Prospective study of patients before and 1 year after initiating a gluten-free diet.

PARTICIPANTS: 19 patients with screen-detected celiac disease (found by serologically testing first-degree relatives of celiac patients) and 21 consecutive patients with symptom-detected disease. In all cases, celiac diagnosis was confirmed by finding villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia on small-bowel biopsy.

INTERVENTION: Gluten-free diet (explained during a single physician visit). MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES: Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS), in which scores range from 0 to 6 (higher scores represent worse symptoms); and quality of life measured with the Psychological General Well-Being Questionnaire (PGWB). Scores range from 22 to 132 (higher scores mean greater well-being).

RESULTS: At baseline, patients with symptom-detected celiac disease had poorer quality of life and more gastrointestinal symptoms than those with screen-detected celiac disease. Reported compliance with the gluten-free diet was good. All mucosal lesions of the small bowel had resolved at the follow-up biopsy. After 1 year of following the diet, quality of life for patients with screen-detected disease significantly improved (mean PGWB score increased from 108 to 114; P

CONCLUSIONS: Gluten-free diet was associated with improved quality of life for patients with symptom-detected celiac disease and patients with screen-detected celiac disease. Concerns about the burden of a gluten-free diet, at least over the short term, may be unfounded.

PMID: 12088289