Coeliac disease: recognition, assessment and management

What do the blood test results mean?

If you are aged 16 years or over and your blood test is abnormal (suggesting that you probably have coeliac disease) you should be referred to a specialist in stomach and intestine problems. You will need to have a biopsy to confirm whether or not you have coeliac disease.

If you are under 16 and your blood test is abnormal, you should be referred to a paediatric gastroenterologist (a children's doctor who also has training and expertise in diseases of the stomach and intestine), for more tests (for example, blood tests for genetic testing).

If your blood test is normal (suggesting you don't have coeliac disease) it doesn't necessarily mean that you will never have coeliac disease. Your body might not start producing antibodies straight away in response to the inflammation in your gut, and symptoms may appear later on. So you should be advised to contact your doctor if any of the symptoms listed in when you should be tested for coeliac disease persist, or if you get any of these symptoms. This is particularly important if you have type 1 diabetes or you have a close relative with coeliac disease.

If your blood test is normal but your doctor thinks that you might have coeliac disease you should still be referred to a specialist for more tests.