Task Force to Make Celiac Screening Recommendations

Celiac.com 06/29/2016 - As part of a call for public comment that expired on May 30, 2016 at 8:00 PM EST, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a Draft Recommendation Statement regarding celiac disease screening.

The draft was distributed solely for the purpose of receiving public input. It has not been disseminated otherwise by the USPSTF. The final Recommendation Statement will be developed after careful consideration of the feedback received and will include both the Research Plan and Evidence Review as a basis.

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The statement is intended for adults, adolescents, and children who do not have signs or symptoms of celiac disease. The statement is basically a call for more evidence. It expresses the USPSTF conclusion that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic persons.

The USPSTF website regarding this announcement includes information on the Open Original Shared Link, Open Original Shared Link, Open Original Shared Link, Open Original Shared Link, Open Original Shared Link, and Open Original Shared Link.

Current testing recommendations include:

The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that asymptomatic persons with a first-degree relative who has a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease be considered for testing. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus should be tested for celiac disease if there are any digestive symptoms, signs, or laboratory evidence suggestive of celiac disease.

The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends offering serologic testing for celiac disease to persons with a first-degree relative with celiac disease or persons with type 1 diabetes mellitus or autoimmune thyroid disease upon diagnosis. Serologic testing for celiac disease should be considered for persons with any of the following: metabolic bone disorder (reduced bone mineral density or osteomalacia), unexplained neurologic symptoms (particularly peripheral neuropathy or ataxia), unexplained subfertility or recurrent miscarriage, persistently elevated liver enzymes with unknown cause, dental enamel defects, Down syndrome, or Turner syndrome.

The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition recommends testing for celiac disease in asymptomatic children who have conditions associated with celiac disease (type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome, selective IgA deficiency, and first-degree relatives with celiac disease). It recommends testing asymptomatic children who are at risk beginning around age 3 years, provided they have had an adequate gluten-containing diet for at least 1 year before testing. It recommends that asymptomatic persons with negative serology who are at risk be considered for repeat testing.19

Read more at: Open Original Shared Link