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Digital News Report – The California State Senate has passed Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 7) that will raise awareness of celiac disease. “We can reduce the number of Celiac Disease cases that go undiagnosed by promoting greater awareness of this serious disease,” said state Senator Bob Huff.
Celiac disease (aka coeliac disease) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine. Patients have an allergic reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat and some other products.
Huff also wants to designate May 2011 as Celiac Disease Awareness Month. While the disease often goes undiagnosed, it is believed to affect one out of every 133 people.
“There is no cure or known cause for celiac disease, and the only treatment is close adherence to a gluten-free diet,” Huff tells Digital News Report. “The average delay in diagnosis is nine years. This is a clear indication that we must do what we can to raise awareness.”
Huff says that 97% of the cases go undiagnosed, and he wants this to change. “Early detection of this disease is paramount. Children need to find out if they have celiac disease early on so that they can immediately be started on a gluten-free diet.”
By Jason Chang
Thank you for rasising the awareness of Celiac and encouraging testing. D Sabin
Over the past year I have worked closely with Senator Huff’s office on this bill. I applaude the Senator for being the FIRST California legislator to help us shine a light on Celiac Disease! Raising awareness will save lives. Over the last several months I’ve documented the bill’s progress on my website: http://www.notevenacrumb.com. Thank You Senator Huff!