Epidemiology of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease (CD) is a systemic disorder characterized by immune-mediated enteropathy caused by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. CD is now established as a global disease with a worldwide prevalence of ~ 1%, however, population-based prevalence data is lacking from several countries. The population-based data suggest that both the prevalence and the incidence of CD has increased over past 2–3 decades, which is attributable not only to an increase in the rate of diagnosis of CD but also due to environmental and dietary factors. Despite an increase in the awareness about high prevalence of CD and its myriad of clinical presentation, the majority of patients with CD remain undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or experience a significant delay in the diagnosis.