State of Celiac Survey Conference 2023 - Duerksen, McAuley

Listen to world-renowned leaders in celiac research report on Celiac Canada's State of Celiac Survey, the most extensive of its kind in the world. Following up from a survey twenty years ago, preliminary results from 7000 respondents show little change in the time it takes to diagnose. Yet important findings summarised in this 35-minute video will be used to improve quality of life for people with Celiac Disease in Canada. More extensive results will be revealed throughout 2024 so be sure to check www. Celiac.ca to stay up to date.

[@markbernier8434]

Clearly much more information will be available in February. One question I was surprised was not asked was if the respondent was a current or former member of the CCA. Anecdotally, at meetings I see older white women only. As a man, I felt a little of an outsider. I think that your questions on time to diagnosis need to be expanded. Personally, I was very lucky and was diagnosed on the first visit to a doctor about my health. However, retrospectively, I had symptoms for years if not decades prior to being unwell enough that I could not function at work. I think that you will find that men simply ignore symptoms until they literally cannot function. I suspect this leads to under-diagnosis of men. One fact from your data surprised me, the high percentage of people whose symptoms were not resolved. I think that this needs to be kept in mind when talking to people newly diagnosed. I certainly believed that if I cut out Gluten I would be well again. That didn't happen at all. I am much improved, but at this point have no expectation of feeling completely well ever again. Another point was the very high percentage of respondents with post secondary educations. Can you determine if that is a problem with getting responses, or is it the result of lifestyles that correlate with diagnosis of CD, or possibly socioeconomic status? All in all I am very gratified by this work and thank you for doing it.