•  
  •  

Who Is Affected by Celiac Disease

The exact number of people who have celiac disease is not known. Newer screening tests have shown that many people with this condition have only mild symptoms or none at all. Because of this and the fact that some doctors may not consider celiac disease as a possible diagnosis when symptoms occur, the condition is now known to be more common than originally believed. About 1 in 100 people in the United States have celiac disease.1

Celiac disease is known to occur:

  • More often in whites than in people of other races.2
  • More often in first-degree relatives (such as brothers, sisters, parents, sons, and daughters) of people who have the disease.
  • More often in people who have type 1 diabetes.
  • More often in people who have Down syndrome.

Citations

  1. American Gastroenterological Association (2006). AGA institute medical position statement on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease. Gastroenterology, 131(6): 1977–1980.
  2. NIH Consensus Statement on Celiac Disease, vol. 21, no. 1 (2004 June 28–30). Available online: http://consensus.nih.gov/2004/2004CeliacDisease118html.htm.
By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer Jerry S. Trier, MD - Gastroenterology
Last Revised June 18, 2010

Last Revised: June 18, 2010

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics & Jerry S. Trier, MD - Gastroenterology

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

To learn more visit Healthwise.org

© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.