Wheat intolerance shouldn't be a major issue as long as you can get wheat-free crew meals! Most intolerances do not cause long term problems as long as the correct diet is adhered to.
The UK often use different units for blood tests to other countries. Glucose (sugar), for instance is measures in millimoles per litre (mmol/l) in the UK with a normal range of, say, 4-8 but in the US it is measured in milliGRAMS per litre (mg/l). From memory, the conversion factor is 18mg/mmol so the normal range for glucose in the US would be 72-144. Likewise, if cholesterol is measured in mmol rather than mg, the value will be different. You always have to check the units and the normal range for that test in that country.
High cholesterol in and of itself may not be a bar to employment (but I don't know the answer for sure) but some anti-cholesterol drugs can be a problem. I certainly looked after one (military) pilot in my career who had problems as his anti-cholesterol drugs were not allowed for solo flying. This may be different in civilian life but it is worth checking with the CAA/FAA/JAR what drugs you are allowed to take before your doctor starts you on something new. The 'statin' class of drugs (like Lipitor) are well known for causing some unpleasant side effects which mean you should not fly until you have been on the drug for some time and have checked that you are not one of the unfortunate few that have a reaction.
That said, I hear from a CAA class 1 AME that the rules do now allow for pilots to be on statins after the usual period of time to make sure that side effects are not present. This will involve blood tests as well (but then you would have probably had bloods done to check the cholesterol anyway!)
Sorry about the long post
Bob
Last edited by Bob the Doc; 5th Sep 2007 at 10:38.