CELIAC TOWN

• Celiac is more common in women than men. (0.9% in women vs. 0.5% in men)

This is typical for most autoimmune diseases.

 

 

• Throughout the lifespan celiac patients have double the mortality risk than the rest of the public. (Celiac disease statistics source)

 

• About 1% of the world’s population has celiac disease.

 

• About 10% of people with Celiac also get dermatitis herpetiformis. This skin rash can actually be used instead of an endoscopy to diagnose celiac disease.

However, the dermatitis herpetiformis skin biopsy must be taken from the correct area to be accurate.

 

 

• There are about 200-300 known symptoms of celiac disease.

 

• Around 3 million Americans have celiac disease, but many of them don’t know it.

Some people are undiagnosed and some are misdiagnosed with other disorders.

 

• Celiac disease is one of the most prevalent GI disorders, but a 2017 report indicates that the National Institute of Health (NIH) consistently distributes the least amount of funding for this disease.

Overall, they found that “NIH funding of GI diseases is not proportional to disease prevalence or mortality.”

 

• On average it takes 6 – 10 years to be correctly diagnosed with celiac disease.

 

• People with celiac disease have a much higher chance of developing other autoimmune diseases. Getting diagnosed in childhood lowers your risk.

 

• Getting diagnosed with celiac after age 20 means you have around a 34% chance of developing another autoimmune disease. (Source for celiac disease statistics)

 

• While the world’s population has approximately a 4% chance of having an autoimmune disease, those with celiac have about a 14% chance of getting additional autoimmune disorders.

 

 

• Approximately 25-30% of the general public are carriers of celiac genes, but that does not mean they will ever have a diagnosis of celiac disease.

Genetic testing can be valuable for celiacs and their families. It can detect mutations in one or both of the HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genes which people at risk for celiac disease have.

 

 

• Carriers of celiac genes have a higher risk of getting celiac disease with a 3% chance instead of a 1% chance. (Source for these celiac disease statistics.)

 

 

• Children, parents and siblings (first degree relatives) of someone diagnosed with celiac disease have approximately a 10% chance of getting it in their lifetime.

 

• A negative celiac genetic test is 99% accurate that the person will never develop celiac disease.

A negative result can be used to rule out future celiac disease which can be valuable for first degree relatives of celiacs.

 

• A 100% gluten free diet is the treatment for celiac disease.

 

→ Find more great stuff on our Celiac Disease Facts page!