Generally antibody blood tests are not an alternative to a biopsy – they are used as a screening tool. Some doctors take into account the antibody blood tests when diagnosing patients. It is generally accepted that the gold standard for diagnosis is the small bowel biopsy via an endoscopy.

Yes. Previous studies on the families of coeliac patients have discovered cases of people with coeliac disease, who were previously thought to be perfectly healthy. There is now a trend to carry out blood screening and/or a biopsy test on parents, brothers, sisters and children of known cases, even if there is only a mild suspicion of the disease.

Your pharmacist should be able to check whether gluten is contained in any medications which are prescribed for you.