Ellen
02-06-2006, 11:15 AM
CELIAC DISEASE: A Hidden Epidemic (Collins Books; On-Sale Feb 7, 2006; ISBN: 006076693X ; Hardcover, $22.95) is the first and only authoritative guide to this serious autoimmune disease. As co-author Dr. Peter Green explains "celiac disease has been dubbed the 'great pretender.' Its symptoms can easily masquerade as a number of other illnesses...and it is those conditions that are often diagnosed instead of celiac disease. The one thing most patients have in common is a long road to diagnosis." While celiac disease is well known in Europe and other areas, in the United States it has long been ignored by many in the medical profession -- prompting The Wall Street Journal to recently note that "the story of celiac disease shows how blind spots can develop in the U.S. medical system" (12/9/05).