McMaster team instrumental in continued coverage of blood testing for celiac disease in Ontario
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The Ontario government will continue covering blood tests for celiac disease thanks a partnership between Celiac Canada and McMaster University researchers.
The Ontario government will continue covering blood tests for celiac disease thanks to an initiative spearheaded by Celiac Canada (CCA) who partnered with McMaster University researchers for their expertise, sparing patients $100 to $150 in fees.
The McMaster researchers including Elena Verdu, Premysl Bercik, Maria Ines Pinto-Sanchez and David Armstrong, said that celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine of people with certain genes and that is triggered by consuming gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their immune system attacks and damages the lining of the small intestine, causing malabsorption of nutrients (malnutrition), abdominal pain and other symptoms, such as depression and alterations in quality of life.
The CCA says a timely diagnosis of celiac disease is vital, as the resulting malnutrition can eventually lead to patients developing osteoporosis, neurological problems, reproductive issues, arthritis, other autoimmune diseases and even an increased risk for developing certain cancers.
Ontario was the only province in the country where blood screening test for celiac disease was not covered until November 2021, when the CCA partnered with the province to conduct a pilot study of funded diagnostic blood testing for celiac disease along with 8 other conditions. The study was well received by all stakeholders, including providers, physicians and patients. News recently released by the Ontario Ministry of Health confirmed that celiac testing will continue to be covered by OHIP after this pilot.
“We are thrilled that the province is making blood testing for celiac disease accessible in the community. This pilot we have been a part of demonstrates that covering celiac blood testing efficiently addresses a health inequity in 128,000 Ontarians suffering in silence from celiac disease,” said Maria Ines Pinto-Sanchez, Director of the Adult Celiac Clinic and staff member of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster.
The CCA says that 85 per cent of people with celiac disease are undiagnosed, but the elimination of fees will address this health inequity. The fees deterred people on low or modest incomes from being tested, with the potential costs for a family of four to get screened being more than $400.
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