In this article, learn important statistics and facts about celiac disease.
When a person with celiac disease ingests gluten, it attacks the small intestine, leading to digestive problems.
Eating a strictlygluten-free dietis important for anyone with celiac disease.
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Related:Symptoms of Celiac Disease
How Common Is Celiac Disease?
An estimated 2 million (or 1 in 133) people in the United States have celiac disease.
This number may be higher in certain geographic regions and specific demographic groups.
A recent study screened celiac disease prevalence among children in Colorado.
It found that celiac disease was diagnosed in 17.4 per 100,000 women vs. 7.8 per 100,000 men.
Incidence among children was 21.3 per 100,000 children vs. 12.9 per 100,000 adults.
It is unclear why more women are diagnosed with celiac disease than men.
Some researchers theorize that women are more likely than men to seek medical help.
Men and women also tend to have different celiac disease symptom profiles.
Related:Is Celiac Disease More Common in Women?
These genes include:
However, not everyone with “celiac genes” will get celiac disease.
Scientists believe that certain environmental factors trigger celiac disease among those people who are genetically predisposed.
Screening for celiac disease includes simpleblood tests.
You should maintain a gluten-containing diet during the blood test, or the results will be inaccurate.
Your healthcare provider may refer you for an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis depending on the blood test results.
Most people are only screened for celiac disease if they have the typical symptoms.
However, this tactic could explain why so many people remain undiagnosed.
In one study, 9,973 children were screened for celiac disease, and 242 screened positive.
According to the researchers, most children with celiac disease will remain undiagnosed if only symptomatic patients are screened.
They propose a mass screening program in the United States, but it has not been adopted nationwide.
Related:How Celiac Disease is Diagnosed
Summary
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition affecting people worldwide.
Geography location, sex, and ethnicity affect the likelihood of someone having celiac disease.
Additionally, the majority of people with celiac disease are undiagnosed.
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