Celiac disease 4 times as common today as it was 50 years ago, silent disease may increase mortality 4 times

Celiac disease is the most common genetically based food intolerance (1% prevalence among general population) (JAMA 2014, http://buff.ly/1cJWgFy).

From Mayo Clinic:

Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is at least four times as common today as it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology. Lack of awareness of celiac could be contributing to a delay of up to 11 years in diagnosis of adults in North America (http://goo.gl/sy778).

The study also found that subjects who unknowingly had celiac disease were nearly four times as likely as celiac-free subjects to have died during the 45 years of follow-up.

In the video files below, Joseph Murray, M.D., the Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who led the study, describes the study findings and provides background on the disease, its symptoms and treatment.

ClevelandClinic, October 11, 2010: Celiac disease is when the body doesn't tolerate gluten very well - the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with celiac disease eat gluten it damages the small instestines. Symptoms are gas, bloating, indigestion, fatigue, and headaches. This disease is diagnosed by a blood test. New classification is being proposed for gluten-related disorders: celiac disease; dermatitis herpetiformis; gluten ataxia; wheat allergy; gluten sensitivity. WSJ, 2012. Recent studies support the existence of the new condition nonceliac gluten sensitivity which is defined as symptoms with negative celiac antibodies and biopsy (http://goo.gl/57IlB).

Related reading:

Celiac disease confers a 1.6-fold increased risk of asthma, JACI 2011, http://goo.gl/dhxKX

Celiac Disease: Small bowel biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis, gluten-free diet the only treatment option. Medscape, 2011. Think Like a Doctor - The Right Test Solved the Mystery - Celiac Disease http://goo.gl/XagL3 - NYTimes published actual patient records online. Lack of awareness of celiac could be contributing to a delay of up to 11 years in diagnosis of adults in North America, http://goo.gl/sy778 Dr. Guandalini, a renowned UChicago celiac disease expert, answers patient questions on YouTube http://goo.gl/QADXY