New Easy-to-Read Information on Celiac Disease Available

Format: Booklet
Institute: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

As much as 1% of the U.S. population has celiac disease, but the vast majority of those people remains undiagnosed, according to an independent consensus panel convened by NIH.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People with celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley.

What I Need to Know About Celiac Disease, a new easy-to-read booklet, uses everyday language to describe celiac disease, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. The booklet also includes examples of a gluten-free diet. What I Need to Know About Celiac Disease is the newest publication from the NIH Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign, a program from NIDDK’s National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Next Steps
You can read What I Need to Know About Celiac Disease online at http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac_ez/index.htm or download the booklet at http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac_ez/WINTKACeliacDisease.pdf.

For more information about the Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign, visit www.celiac.nih.gov. For more information about digestive diseases, visit http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov.