Insufficient evidence for weighing benefits, harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that there is currently insufficient evidence to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic adults, adolescents, and children. These findings form the basis of a recommendation statement published in the March 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Roger Chou, M.D., from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues reviewed evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic adults, adolescents, and children aged 3 years and older. Data were reviewed from one systematic review and three primary studies that met the inclusion criteria.
The researchers found that there was little to no evidence to inform most of the key questions related to the benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in asymptomatic individuals. Some evidence was found for the diagnostic accuracy of tests for celiac disease. Based on these findings, the USPSTF concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence to determine the benefits and harms of screening.
“This is not a recommendation against screening for celiac disease,” Task Force member Ann E. Kurth, Ph.D., M.P.H., said in a statement. “At this time, there simply is not enough evidence to determine the benefits and harms of screening for celiac disease in people without signs or symptoms of the condition, so the Task Force is calling for more research.”
Evidence Review
Recommendation Statement
Editorial 1
Editorial 2
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