TORONTO, CANADA, October 10, 2008
/24-7PressRelease/ -- You may not even know you have this life-long heredity disease. Although most people think of this as a children's disease, it can be diagnosed at any age. In fact, more than two thirds of Canadians have it diagnosed as adults.
The disease is celiac disease. Health officials say one out of 100 Canadians are affected by this condition, which occurs when gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye and barley—damages the lining of the small intestine, interfering with your absorption of nutrients.
Now there is a simple, accurate way to determine if you are susceptible to celiac disease. For the first time in Canada, Health Canada has approved the BiocardTM Celiac Test Kit, an at-home test that measures the body's immune response to gluten from a fingertip blood sample. While this easy, patient-friendly blood test gives a high degree of certainty that you are either developing celiac disease or already have celiac disease, you still need to see your doctor for confirmation.
"This at-home blood test is a saving grace for those who think they may have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance," said Karina Nelimarkka, co-founder of 2G Pharma Inc., marketers of the BiocardTM Celiac Test Kit. "According to a 20007 survey by the Canadian Celiac Association, the average time it took to get diagnosed was 12 years. Many respondents consulted with three or more doctors before getting their diagnosis. The Biocard test screens you quickly and accurately and the results give you the ammunition to get treatment faster."
While diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating are thought of as the classic symptoms of celiac disease, especially with children, in adults these symptoms aren't always present, or noticeable. Some adults report headaches, fatigue and joint pain. Others report weight gain or weight loss, depression and hair loss--symptoms not often associated with gut-related problems.
As a result, even health professionals sometimes confuse celiac disease with irritable bowel syndrome, iron-deficiency anemia caused by menstrual blood loss, Crohn's disease, intestinal infections, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Or treat the symptom as stress-related.
Left undetected, celiac disease can lead to malnutrition and bone problems like osteoporosis, The disease can also lead to infertility, certain digestive tract cancers and other autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease. In children, especially, celiac disease can lead to delayed growth.
The test kit is available for Canada and can be purchased online at http://www.celiachometest.com or at London Drugs, Save on Foods, Price Smart Foods, Rexall, PharmaPlus, Safeway, Jean Coutu (NB) and Meyer's Drugs Ltd. (MB).
October is celiac disease awareness month in Canada.
About 2G Pharma Inc.
Founded by Karina Nelimarkka and Janet Monk, 2G Pharma Inc. markets the unique, patient-friendly celiac test kit first developed by AniBiotech in Finland. This kit has been redesigned for the Canadian market and is currently the only Health Canada approved point-of-care celiac disease test kit available. Information on celiac disease, the BiocardTM Celiac Test and links to key informational sites can be found at http://www.celiachometest.com
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