I suffer from Celiac Disease.
Here are a few statistics around Celiac Disease, gluten sensitivity and gluten. From http://www.uchospitals.edu/pdf/uch_007937.pdf and the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center
Prevalence of Celiac Disease in the
United States
•In average healthy people: 1 in 133
•In people with related symptoms: 1 in 56
•In people with first-degree relatives
(parent, child, sibling) who are celiac: 1
in 22
•In people with second-degree relatives
(aunt, uncle, cousin) who are celiac: 1 in
39
•Estimated prevalence for African-,
Hispanic- and Asian-Americans: 1 in 236
•In the landmark prevalence study on
celiac disease, investigators determined
that 60% of children and 41% of
adults diagnosed during the study were
asymptomatic (without any symptoms).
•During the prevalence study, researchers
found that 21% of patients with a positive
anti-endomysial antibody test could not
receive a biopsy due to the refusal of their
physician to perform the procedure or the
insurance company to pay for it.
•Only 35% of newly diagnosed patients
had chronic diarrhea, dispelling the myth
that diarrhea must be present to diagnose
celiac disease.
Source: A multi-center study on the sero-prevalence
of celiac disease in the United States among both at risk and not at risk groups. Fasano et. al., Archives of Internal Medicine. February 2003.
•Celiac disease affects at least 3 million
Americans.
•The average length of time it takes for a
symptomatic person to be diagnosed with
celiac disease in the US is four years;
this type of delay dramatically increases
an individual’s risk of developing
autoimmune disorders, neurological
problems, osteoporosis and even cancer.
Source: Characteristics of adult celiac disease in the
USA: results of a national survey. Green, P.H. et.al.American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2001, 2006.
•The incidence of autoimmune diseases
in the general US population is 3.5%
1 in 133 is a pretty significant number....
