Better dietary compliance in patients with coeliac disease diagnosed in early childhood

Background: In coeliac disease (CD) there is a permanent gluten intolerance requiring life-long adherence to a strict gluten-free diet (GFD). An inadequate diet increases the risk for long-term complications. Coeliac patients often have great difficulty in maintaining a strictly GFD. We aimed to study whether young adults with CD diagnosed before the age of 4 years have a better dietary compliance than patients diagnosed later in life. Method: Twenty-nine adults with CD diagnosed in childhood were studied. They had had CD for 17-24 (mean 20) years. Their compliance to GFD was assessed using a questionnaire and serological markers (IgA and IgG anti-endomysium antibodies and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies). Results: At least 80% of the coeliac patients who had been diagnosed before the age of 4 years complied with the GFD compared to 36% of the CD patients older than 4 years at diagnosis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This is the first study to show that patients with CD diagnosed before 4 years of age keep to a GFD significantly better than patients diagnosed after 4 years. It is thus important to diagnose childhood CD as early as possible in order to minimize the risk for reduced wellbeing and other potentially serious complications in coeliac individuals on an inadequate diet.