Australian scientists have made progress towards a blood test that could dramatically simplify the diagnosis of coeliac disease.

The test will do away with the need for people to eat gluten for weeks before a diagnosis can be made, says lead researcher Dr Jason Tye-Din, head of coeliac research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne.

Results will take 24 hours and people will not need to have tissue samples taken from their intestines.

A pilot study on 48 people shows the test is accurate after only three days of gluten consumption, says Tye-Din.

Many people follow gluten-free diets without a formal diagnosis and the current testing method requires them to eat gluten again, which is often unpleasant and difficult, says Tye-Din, a gastroenterologist at Royal Melbourne hospital.

It will, however, be several years before the new test is available for general use, he says.

Coeliac disease is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten in the diet, leading to damage to the small intestine.

It can cause digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, and diarrhoea, as well as lethargy, anaemia, headaches and weight loss.

Long-term complications include malnutrition, osteoporosis, pregnancy issues and liver failure.

Up to one in 60 women and one in 80 men in Australia have the condition, but most are undiagnosed.

Tye-Din, whose study is published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, believes a simple test will greatly improve diagnosis and treatment.

The study is supported by by Coeliac Australia, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Victorian government.