Teens with celiac disease may face difficult transition

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) – – Teens with celiac disease, or any chronic disease, face extra hurdles transitioning into the adult healthcare system, but there are very few guidelines for how to make this transition smoother, according to a European consensus report. Teens with celiac disease, an immune disorder in which people cannot tolerate the gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley, should gradually assume exclusive responsibility for their own care, learning how to follow a gluten-free diet and the consequences of not following it, the authors write. “Adolescence is a period of time where young people like to revolt and change things and they may be tempted to leave their gluten free diet, which puts certain restraints on their life,” said senior author Dr. Steffen Husby of Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital in Denmark.