Dr. Alessio Fasano's substantial article "Celiac Disease Insights: Clues to Solving Autoimmunity" is in the August 2009 Scentific American.
Have at it!
Showing posts with label Alessio Fasano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alessio Fasano. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
"Top 10 'Yuppie' Conditions"
Or, "An Article Diminished By Lousy Headlines"
Lauren Cox's ABC News story "Top 10 'Yuppie' Conditions" (December 17, 2008) has a lousy headline that encourages readers to think of the 10 conditions as (air-quote) "conditions" and a poor sub-headline that seems to confuse "Wheat Allergy or Celiac Disease or Gluten Allergy"—but beyond that, I guess it's all right.
Cox offers "10 of the most besmirched conditions patients wish would be taken more seriously," starting with a section on celiac disease even though that darn sub-headline also mentions allergies.
The article cites Elaine Monarch of the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) to the effect that "in 2004 the National Institutes of Health convened a consensus conference about celiac disease. The doctors estimated that 97 percent of people who have it have not been diagnosed, and that one out of 133 people likely had the condition." Okay. And it also quotes Dr. Alessio Fasano (who has a personal interest in research and development) as saying, "It deserves all the respect that we give to the other diseases that we spend so much time and money on." Also okay, despite the lack of disclaimer.
But besides better headlines, something that would actually have helped earn respect for celiac disease would have been a more coherent presentation that conveys the costs of celiac disease going underdiagnosed. Cox might even have noted that testing for celiac disease might help people with at least four of the other nine "Yuppie" conditions:
Lauren Cox's ABC News story "Top 10 'Yuppie' Conditions" (December 17, 2008) has a lousy headline that encourages readers to think of the 10 conditions as (air-quote) "conditions" and a poor sub-headline that seems to confuse "Wheat Allergy or Celiac Disease or Gluten Allergy"—but beyond that, I guess it's all right.
Cox offers "10 of the most besmirched conditions patients wish would be taken more seriously," starting with a section on celiac disease even though that darn sub-headline also mentions allergies.
The article cites Elaine Monarch of the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) to the effect that "in 2004 the National Institutes of Health convened a consensus conference about celiac disease. The doctors estimated that 97 percent of people who have it have not been diagnosed, and that one out of 133 people likely had the condition." Okay. And it also quotes Dr. Alessio Fasano (who has a personal interest in research and development) as saying, "It deserves all the respect that we give to the other diseases that we spend so much time and money on." Also okay, despite the lack of disclaimer.
But besides better headlines, something that would actually have helped earn respect for celiac disease would have been a more coherent presentation that conveys the costs of celiac disease going underdiagnosed. Cox might even have noted that testing for celiac disease might help people with at least four of the other nine "Yuppie" conditions:
'Yuppie Flu' or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome*Yes, celiac disease can be suspected in people with the four asterisked conditions. At least that's the point of view of the CDF, and, in the case of social phobia, doctors at Italy's Institute of Internal Medicine at the Catholic University of Rome.
Epstein-Barr
Social Phobia and Social Anxiety Disorder*
Tennis Elbow
Anxiety vs. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Restless Leg Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome*
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Fibromyalgia*
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
"Gluten-free diets gaining in popularity"
Recent Article in USA Today
"Meet the latest dietary bad boy: gluten," starts Kim Painter's USA Today article "Gluten-free diets gaining in popularity" (August 17, 2008).
Painter notes that "Marketers estimate that 15% to 25% of consumers want gluten-free foods — though doctors estimate just 1% have celiac disease, the best-defined and most severe form of gluten intolerance, says Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the non-profit Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG)." Painter also quotes American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dee Sandquist as saying that there is "a fad aspect" to the diet among college students.
Painter cites Dr. Alessio Fasano as noting that 110,000 Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease, up from 40,000 in 2003—but that about 2,890,000 remain undiagnosed. He notes that, besides those people, there are those who may react poorly to gluten even though they do not test positive for celiac disease. Sandquist surmises that others might feel better on a gluten-free diet because they may be eating more fruits and vegetables and less fast food and processed food.
Dr. Peter Green (right) of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU) stresses the importance of getting an exact diagnosis from a doctor, which is best done while on a gluten-inclusive diet.
If, as the article suggests, the growing "popularity" of gluten-free diets might offer more and better dining options, just imagine how much better it would be if the millions of people with undiagnosed celiac disease received correct diagnoses. Their health would improve while their numbers would enhance a fad-proof gluten-free market.
A sidebar identifies the following trouble signs that one should discuss with a physician:
"Meet the latest dietary bad boy: gluten," starts Kim Painter's USA Today article "Gluten-free diets gaining in popularity" (August 17, 2008).
Painter notes that "Marketers estimate that 15% to 25% of consumers want gluten-free foods — though doctors estimate just 1% have celiac disease, the best-defined and most severe form of gluten intolerance, says Cynthia Kupper, executive director of the non-profit Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG)." Painter also quotes American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dee Sandquist as saying that there is "a fad aspect" to the diet among college students.
Painter cites Dr. Alessio Fasano as noting that 110,000 Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease, up from 40,000 in 2003—but that about 2,890,000 remain undiagnosed. He notes that, besides those people, there are those who may react poorly to gluten even though they do not test positive for celiac disease. Sandquist surmises that others might feel better on a gluten-free diet because they may be eating more fruits and vegetables and less fast food and processed food.
Dr. Peter Green (right) of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU) stresses the importance of getting an exact diagnosis from a doctor, which is best done while on a gluten-inclusive diet.If, as the article suggests, the growing "popularity" of gluten-free diets might offer more and better dining options, just imagine how much better it would be if the millions of people with undiagnosed celiac disease received correct diagnoses. Their health would improve while their numbers would enhance a fad-proof gluten-free market.
A sidebar identifies the following trouble signs that one should discuss with a physician:
• Frequent diarrhea
• Frequent constipation
• Frequent bloating
• Unintended weight loss
• Failure to grow (in children)
• Anemia
• Unexplained fatigue
• Frequent headaches
• Bone or joint pain
• Itchy skin lesions
• Tooth enamel defects
• Mouth ulcers
Monday, June 16, 2008
A REPORT FROM DR. ALESSIO FASANO
On Medscape you can find Dr. Alessio Fasano's article "News on Celiac Disease: Where Are We? Where Are We Going?". This report summarizes developments in celiac disease research as discussed at Digestive Disease Week 2008.
Highlights:
On Medscape you can find Dr. Alessio Fasano's article "News on Celiac Disease: Where Are We? Where Are We Going?". This report summarizes developments in celiac disease research as discussed at Digestive Disease Week 2008.
Highlights:
PLEASE NOTE Dr. Fasano has a significant stake in Alba Therapeutics, which is seeking a medical treatment for celiac disease."Celiac disease is now considered an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten and similar proteins of barley and rye in genetically susceptible subjects." Three studies suggested that intestinal permeability is also part of the celiac formula, helping to explain why only some people with the genetic disposition test positive for celiac disease. "A group from Italy showed that the duodenal microbiota of children with celiac disease who were exposed to gluten was radically different from the microbiota of children with celiac disease who were on a gluten-free diet." Gluten sensitivity (as opposed to celiac disease) "may be related to activation of the innate immune system without the involvement of the adaptive immune response." An Italian study "showed preliminary data suggesting a protective role for delayed gluten introduction on the onset of celiac disease in genetically at-risk infants." In at least some diagnostic cases, it might be time to question whether certain blood tests might make a biopsy diagnosis unnecessary. Work continues on medical therapies for celiac disease.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
WHO WE ARE TODAY
An Italian study finds that celiac disease is nearly twice as frequent among females than males. The study appeared in The American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG) (April 2008).
The June/July issue of Living Without includes an interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano, who was instrumental in coming up with the "1 in 133" study that found that celiac disease was far more prevalent in the United States than previously thought. Fasano offers the following update:
An Italian study finds that celiac disease is nearly twice as frequent among females than males. The study appeared in The American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG) (April 2008).
The June/July issue of Living Without includes an interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano, who was instrumental in coming up with the "1 in 133" study that found that celiac disease was far more prevalent in the United States than previously thought. Fasano offers the following update:
Keep in mind that in 2003 when the study was completed, there were only about 40,000 people diagnosed with celiac disease in the United States. Since that time, due to increased awareness, the rate has doubled every three years. Today, we’re close to 100,000 diagnosed—and counting. We estimate there are about 3 million people in the United States with this disease. Think about that. There is no other pathology that is so frequent—not Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis. Nothing even comes close.So...2,900,000 Americans with celiac disease may still be undiagnosed.
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