World Celiac Disease Day, which falls on May 16th of each year, is an opportunity to assess the status of a disease that needs to be better known in Morocco, and above all to improve diagnosis. And this matter is at the heart of the battle that the Moroccan Society for Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance has been waging for 10 years.
Celiac disease affects women especially, and results from an intolerance to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the tissues of the small intestine, causing damage to the lining of the intestine, which leads to damage and disorders of the absorption of iron, calcium, vitamins, and many complications. other.
Multiple symptoms of the disease
The disease is difficult to diagnose due to its multiple manifestations and the transformation of the disease within a few decades from a problem of infants and young children whose signs are limited to the digestive system with diarrhea, vomiting, neurological condition and stunted growth, to a disease that affects especially adolescents and adults, and even people over 65 years of age with various signs very. Joint pain, osteoporosis, anemia, recurrent miscarriages, mouth ulcers, dermatitis, migraines, chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression make up the broad clinical spectrum of the disease. In addition, the disease can remain silent for years while continuing its destructive work.
Underdiagnosed disease
Given all of these multifaceted and elusive symptoms, Celiac disease in adults is often detected at the stage of complications. On average, it takes more than 13 years to diagnose the disease and for every case detected, 9 remain undiagnosed. The disease is confirmed by monitoring the high level of anti-glutaminase responsible for attacking the body, and by taking a biopsy of the intestinal wall and discovering atrophy of the folds of the intestinal wall.
In Morocco, celiac disease is still not well known although it affects about 1% of the population. There is a strong genetic predisposition to the disease and relatives are affected in 10% of cases. Having a first-degree relative, such as the father, mother, or a sibling with celiac disease, is 10% more likely to have another person with celiac disease in the family.
The only available treatment is a lifelong elimination of gluten
Treatment is based on a strict gluten-free diet. Its implementation remains problematic due to the lack of mandatory labeling of the presence of gluten in commercial products. The latter can be unexpectedly present in medicines, lipstick, toothpaste, candy, and cooked dishes.
Recently, in 2022 and in order to improve the safety of gluten-free foods in Morocco, the Moroccan Institute for Standardization «IMANOR» and the Moroccan Association of Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance established a partnership aimed at certifying the gluten-free products present in the Moroccan market, through the application of the badge “gluten-free”.
May 15, 2023
Mrs. Jamila Al-Sharif: President of the Association 067706 6911
Dr. Khadija Musyar: Vice President 0661431186
Mrs. Khadija Bentaleb: General Clerk 0661511126