Is Undiagnosed Celiac Disease Clinically Important?

Celiac disease sometimes is diagnosed incidentally (i.e., endoscopically or serologically) in patients without typical symptoms; indeed, some experts have called for population-wide screening for the disease. Thus, we need to know whether undiscovered or asymptomatic celiac disease portends excess mortality or morbidity.

To address this issue, Mayo Clinic researchers analyzed stored serum samples, obtained between 1995 and 2001, from nearly 17,000 adults (age ≥50) without known celiac disease; 129 people (0.8%) had undiagnosed celiac disease, based on positive test results for tissue transglutaminase and endomysial antibodies. These case patients were compared with 254 age- and sex-matched controls.

During average follow-up of 10 years, all-c…