Many People With Celiac Disease Remain Undiagnosed

A Mayo Clinic study, considered the most definitive to date, proves that celiac disease – a digestive disorder triggered by eating wheat, rye and barley – is “common” in the U.S. About 1.8 million Americans have it, though one in six remain undiagnosed. Meanwhile, about 1.6 million people have placed themselves on a gluten-free diet, though they have not been diagnosed, a fact that baffles physicians. "There are a lot of people on a gluten-free diet, and it's not clear what the medical need for that is," one researcher said.