Celiac Disease (Updated 4th Edition): A Hidden Epidemic

From Dr. Peter H. R. Green, internationally renowned expert on celiac disease and director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, and medical author Rory Jones, an updated fourth edition of the definitive health guide on celiac disease, one of the most underdiagnosed autoimmune diseases in the U.S.  

Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic is an indispensable guidebook for anyone with celiac disease as well as for those with gluten intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity on a gluten-free diet. Since the last edition in 2016, scientific advances have changed what we know about the disease, how it is diagnosed and treated, and the long-term effect of a gluten-free diet on the brain and body.

Celiac disease is a hereditary autoimmune condition that damages the lining of the small intestine so that it cannot properly absorb food, impacting overall digestive health. Without essential nutrients, the entire body begins to suffer. The disease is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. The only “cure” for the disease is a life-long gluten-free diet. The disease affects nearly 1 in every 100 people in the United States―50 percent of whom remain undiagnosed and untreated. Although the primary target of injury is the small intestine, CD can and often does affect the entire body. Complications from the disease can include infertility, liver disease, osteoporosis, anemia, and other autoimmune diseases (such as Type 1 diabetes and Thyroid disease), neurological conditions, and even cancer.

This updated fourth edition includes the latest information on CD, gluten intolerance, and gluten sensitivity. The important updates cover everything from new testing devices to advances in therapies that may help prevent gluten from entering and/or harming the intestines, to new research on the long-term effect of the gluten-free diet on our minds and bodies. And more!

This comprehensive health guide provides clear, evidence-based answers on:

• Symptoms and Diagnosis: Understand the wide range of symptoms―from digestive distress to neurological conditions―and learn about the latest in testing and diagnosis from an internationally renowned expert.
• Associated Autoimmune Conditions: Discover the connection between celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders like Type 1 diabetes and Thyroid disease.
• Long-Term Health Risks: Learn about serious complications from untreated celiac disease, including infertility, osteoporosis, and even cancer, and how to manage your health effectively.
• Mastering the Gluten-Free Diet: Get the definitive roadmap to embracing a life-long gluten-free diet, the only proven treatment for celiac disease, with practical advice for maintaining your well-being.

Peter H.R. Green, M.D., is the director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He is the Ivan and Phyllis Seidenberg Professor of Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University and attending physician at the Columbia University Medical Center (New York-Presbyterian Hospital). Celiac disease has been his focus for the last 25 years with equal concentration on patient care and research. He is the co-author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic and Gluten Exposed: The Science Behind the Hype and How to Navigate to a Healthy, Symptom-Free Life.

Rory Jones, M.S. is a medical writer and Adjunct Professor of Narrative Medicine at Barnard College of Columbia University. She has done extensive work on health and medical topics, including educational programs for both adults and children. She specializes in ‘translating’ scientific information for a consumer audience. Diagnosed with celiac disease in 1998, she has researched and written about it and the gluten-free diet for medical as well as consumer publications. She is the co-author of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic and Gluten Exposed: The Science Behind the Hype and How to Navigate to a Healthy, Symptom-Free Life.