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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