* 1 in 70 Australians have coeliac disease but 80 per cent are undiagnosed
* Family members of people with coeliac disease have a 1 in 10 chance of also
being affected
* 15 per cent of people with coeliac disease have another autoimmune disease
* Untreated, coeliac disease is associated with a three-fold increased risk of autoimmune disease (such as autoimmune thyroid or liver disease and type 1diabetes), osteoporosis, malignancy (such as lymphoma) and up to a four-fold increase in mortality
* Early diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease may avoid many such complications
* Severity of symptoms does not reflect damage to the small bowel
* Some patients do not exhibit symptoms but may have fertility issues or early onset osteoporosis
* Undiagnosed coeliac disease can cause a wide range of other conditions such as dental enamel defects, mouth ulcers, alopecia and osteoporosis.
