Coeliac going undetected in Aussie men because it’s seen as a ‘women's issue’

A growing number of Australian men are being diagnosed with a disease linked to popular comfort foods they eat regularly.

Australian men are far less likely to be tested for coeliac disease because doctors consider it to be a ‘women’s issue’, leaving them at the mercy of the serial killer, a leading expert says.

While experts say men present the same symptoms of the auto immune illness as women, Medicare figures show men’s GP referrals for coeliac testing don’t come anywhere close to the amount of women who are checked for the disease.

Coeliac is triggered by gluten consumption and it can severely reduce a sufferer’s quality of life if left undiagnosed.

However, it’s quite difficult to detect as common symptoms include fatigue, bloating, gas, diarrhoea, nausea and weight loss.

If untreated it can lead to anaemia, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and cancer.

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Bloating and fatigue are key symptoms of coeliac disease in men. Picture: iStock

Melbourne gastroenterologist and coeliac expert Dr Jason Tye-Din suspected many men were dining around the country undiagnosed and living with the uncomfortable symptoms of the disease which are triggered by eating wheat-based foods such as cereals, breads, pastas, beers and pizzas.

He estimated that 80 per cent of the country’s (four out of five Aussies) coeliac sufferers are undiagnosed, and felt men made up a large portion of this figure as they were less likely to speak to their GP about symptoms.

“Many people with coeliac disease have very vague or non specific symptoms. For example, everyone gets tired and gets a bloated tummy every now and then,” he said, adding despite having 20 years experience in the field, his wife of 10 years was only diagnosed as a coeliac three years ago.

Dr Jason Tye-Din says GPs need to be on the lookout for coeliac disease in men too as it’s not just a women’s issue. Picture: Supplied

Werribee cricketer Paul Dowling was diagnosed by Dr Tye-Din as coeliac two years ago, after silently fighting symptoms for years.

The 54-year-old said he loved nothing more than a pie and a beer at the footy but his body was screaming for him to stop.

Before diagnosis he was on the brink of giving up cricket, a sport he’s played his entire life. Since he made the switch to a gluten free diet he’s felt like he could keep playing well into his 70s.

“Just before I got diagnosed I had the worst season and was going to give it away as I couldn’t bowl anymore. Now I’m back to playing how I was when I was 40,” he said.

“I feel 15 years younger, it’s crazy. I got selected to play in the over 50s national championship. It has changed everything,” he said.

With his health and diet under control Mr Dowling’s goal is to play senior’s cricket for Australia.

“Whatever comes your way you’ve got to face it. (But) we’re men and we tend not to worry about our health … you can only keep your head in the sand for so long.”

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Melbourne cricketer Paul Dowling said he was on the brink of retiring from the sport before he was diagnosed with coeliac disease. Two year's later he's playing better than ever. Picture: Supplied

Mr Dowling admitted gluten free beer and pies tasted different to the foods that once gave him a lot of joy, but it was worth the switch to spare his body the grief.

“I don’t see the point in eating something and knowing it’s not going to be enjoyable, you eat food to enjoy it.”

Mr Dowling has lived most of his life unaware that he was coeliac, despite detecting problems with his liver in his youth.

Dr Tye-Din suspected his situation was common, as some GPs held the view that coeliac disease doesn’t affect men.

Coeliac rates in Australia are only marginally higher in women, with one in 60 women and one in 80 men diagnosed, according to Coeliac Australia data.

“It can affect all ages and sexes,” Dr Tye-Din said.

“As 1.5 per cent of Australians have coeliac disease, it is one of the most common auto-immune illnesses that general practitioners will encounter.”

Paul Dowling says switching to gluten free foods was worth it for his health. Picture: iStock

Last year’s (January to December 2018) Medicare data reveals 571,097 Australians were tested for coeliac disease including 391,055 women and 180,042 men.

“This means doctors were performing less blood tests in men for coeliac disease,” Dr Tye-Din said.

“Given the lower testing rate … we infer that doctors are generally less likely to diagnose coeliac disease in men … maybe the doctor has the impression that it does not affect men” he said.

“We are only diagnosing the tip of the iceberg,” he said, adding the coeliac test is a quick blood test and biopsy.

“Even if the symptoms aren’t massive it causes damage on the inside. It’s the inflammation in their gut that will overtime lead to other illnesses. Undiagnosed coeliac disease is like a ticking time bomb,” he said, adding people who suspect they might be coeliac need medical diagnosis before switching to a gluten free diet.

Take the coeliac test here at www.coeliac.org.au/assess

Coeliac Australia’s Gluten Free Expo is on in Sydney this weekend (August 3-4) and is hosted across the country throughout the year. For more information visit glutenfreeexpo.com.au

Originally published as Coeliac going undetected in Aussie men because it’s seen as a ‘women's issue’