Screening practices and health care management of type 1 diabetes and celiac disease

Objective Studies have shown the prevalence of celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes to be higher than the prevalence of celiac disease in the general population. Because of the strong correlation between these diseases, screening is recommended. Currently, there is minimal data on screening practices throughout North America. It is important to determine what the screening practices are for diagnosing celiac disease in type 1 diabetics. Methods A survey was administered to 514 practitioners who work with type 1 diabetes. Statistical analysis was conducted. Results Screening frequency was found to be low; in addition, protocols for screening were highly variable or non-existent amongst the participating facilities. Only 35% of all participating facilities screened their type 1 diabetes patients for celiac disease. Conclusions This study showed that current practices for screening type 1 diabetes patients for celiac disease vary across North America. This data signifies a need for protocol