PENNSYLVANIA, May 31 - celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other

conditions with six to ten years marking the average time a

person waits to be correctly diagnosed; and

WHEREAS, For people with celiac disease, gluten, a protein

found in wheat, barley and rye, is poisonous; and

WHEREAS, Even a trace amount of gluten, such as a crumb, can

trigger an immune response leading the body to attack the small

intestine, and this intestinal damage can cause more than 200

debilitating symptoms; and

WHEREAS, According to the University of Chicago Celiac

Disease Center, gluten ingestion for people with celiac disease

causes permanent immunological scarring, doubles the risk of

heart disease, and acts as a carcinogen, quadrupling the risk of

small intestinal cancers; and

WHEREAS, Many individuals with celiac disease are never

tested and sometimes are never even symptomatic; and

WHEREAS, By raising awareness of celiac disease, we can

improve early diagnosis, encourage policymakers to increase

access to services and fund research and reduce the feelings of

isolation and stigma faced by many patients; and

WHEREAS, Celiac disease research is severely underfunded in

proportion to the scale of the disease, treatment burden and

lack of available treatment options; and

WHEREAS, According to an analysis published in 2017 by the

American Gastroenterological Association titled "Disparities

Among Gastrointestinal Disorders in Research Funding from the

National Institutes of Health," celiac disease receives the

lowest amount of National Institutes of Health funding over a

five-year period; and

WHEREAS, The National Institutes of Health's research funding

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