Myths vs facts: Zöliakie Test and Wechseljahre

Myths vs. Facts: Celiac test and menopause. A common myth is that a genetic test for HLA-DQA1 (the gene associated with celiac disease) alone can confirm a celiac diagnosis. Fact: carrying HLA-DQA1 risk variants (like DQ2/DQ8) is necessary but not sufficient – about 30 % of the population carry these alleles, yet only a fraction develop celiac. Diagnosis requires serology (tTG-IgA) and duodenal biopsy. A direct-to-consumer genetic test cannot replace medical diagnosis. Another myth: “menopause tests” (e.g., FSH measurement) are essential to determine menopause. In reality, menopause is clinically defined – 12 months without menstruation. Hormone tests can help in ambiguous cases but are not standalone diagnostic criteria. Many marketed tests overstate their predictive value, creating false reassurance. Evidence for the utility of such self-tests in managing menopause is weak to moderate. Anyone experiencing symptoms should seek clinical evaluation rather than rely solely on home tests.