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Objective: Coeliac disease (CD) is a lifelong condition requiring strict adherence to a gluten-free (GF) diet and good availability of GF foods is critical to this. Patients with CD from lower socioeconomic groups are recognised to have higher treatment burden and higher food costs may impact this. Therefore, we aimed to assess the availability and cost of GF food in supermarkets and via the internet.Design: Supermarkets and internet shops delivering to homes in a single city (UK) were analysed between February and March 2014. Stores were identified with comprehensive internet searches. Ten commonly purchased items were analysed for cost and compared with standard non-GF alternatives. Direct measurement of the number of GF foods available was compared between stores which were categorised according to previously published work.Setting: Supermarkets covering the whole of Sheffield, UK.Results: None of the budget supermarkets surveyed stocked any GF foods. Quality and regular supermarkets stocked the greatest range, each stocking a median of 22 (IQR 39) items (p<0.0001). All GF foods were at least four times more expensive than non-GF alternatives (p<0.0001). GF products are prevalent online, but 5/10 of the surveyed products were significantly more expensive than equivalents in supermarkets.Conclusions: There is good availability of GF food in regular and quality supermarkets as well as online, but it remains significantly more expensive. Budget supermarkets which tend to be frequented by patients from lower socioeconomic classes stocked no GF foods. This poor availability and added cost is likely to impact on adherence in deprived groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a summary of studies on coeliac disease with emphasis on how the disease can be improved based on evidences presented and how to manage patients who respond and do not respond to a gluten-free diet. Information offered includes the type of people prone to the disease, the presentation of the disease, and diagnostic tests to use such as the three serological tests. Also discussed are the need for a duodenal biopsy, and long-term risks associated with the disease.

The article discusses the creation of a regional meeting held to train gastroenterology students in research strategies that will lead to their work being published in a peer-reviewed journal. Topics discussed include the analysis of abstracts to determine research published in full, the publication of research by members of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG), and the use of the MEDLINE database to collect publication data.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to "Decreased risk of celiac disease in patients with helicobacter pylori colonization," by B. Lebwohl et al, in the December 15, 2013 issue.