The History of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a genetically-mediated autoimmune disease that can affect any system of the body. The only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. In people with celiac disease, gluten damages the lining of the intestines. This can prevent them from absorbing important nutrients from food and cause a variety of symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss, mouth ulcers, and growth issues to name a few. An estimated 1 percent of people in North America are affected by this autoimmune disease — typically more girls than boys — and many are undiagnosed. And, celiac is also closely related to many other chronic diseases including type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease. This season on Raising Celiac, we’re going to explore why…we’ll talk to experts across the United States and around the world to discuss why celiac disease is so complicated and how better understanding it may be the key to learning more about other autoimmune conditions. Today we talk about the history of celiac disease with Dr. Dascha Weir, the Clinical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. The Raising Celiac Podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Global Autoimmune Institute.