New York residents genetically predisposed to celiac disease may develop the autoimmune condition either as a child or as an adult. The disease is usually confined to the small intestine, but symptoms are not always apparent and regular screening for at-risk individuals is highly recommended. Screening for celiac disease involves both antibody and genetic testing.

New York patients may be dismayed to find out that many of the medical tests performed each year in the United States are not reviewed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A 1988 law gives the FDA authority to review only tests that are sold to multiple labs, which allows thousands of tests to be performed each year that have not been required to undergo any kind of official scrutiny. The FDA also points out that only about 1 percent of the nation’s approximately 180,000 medical labs have ever been inspected.