New Testing Option for Possible Celiac Disease Sufferers

The current standard for a celiac disease diagnosis is a positive blood test for specific antibodies, followed by a biopsy of the intestine that reveals damage to the villi (villous atrophy). These tests are certainly invasive and unpleasant, but more than that, they are useless in cases where a patient is already following a gluten-free diet. These patients must then undergo a “gluten challenge” of up to eight weeks, during which time they reintroduce gluten-containing foods into their diet, and suffer the consequences. Only then will the blood test and biopsy accurately reveal the hallmarks necessary for an accurate diagnosis.