Celiac & Gluten Free Statistics

Celiac Disease affects 3 million Americans. 1

• Celiac Disease affects more Americans than Epilepsy(2.8M), Crohns(500k), Ulcerative Colitis(500k), Multiple Sclerosis(333k), Cystic Fibrosis(30k).  1

1 in 133 people have Celiac Disease. 1

• 1 in 22 people with celiac disease have a first degree relative diagnosed. 5
  
• 1 in 250 in Italy; 1 in 300 in Ireland.  3
• 500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 — thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.  6

1 in 4,700 people are ever diagnosed. 1

• 97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.  6
• The average length of time it takes for a symptomatic person to be diagnosed with celiac disease in the US is 4 years (11 years 6); this type of delay dramatically increases an individual’s risk of developing autoimmune disorders, neurological problems, osteoporosis and even cancer.  7
• The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 – $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.  6
• 60% of children and 41% of adults diagnosed during the study were asymptomatic (without any symptoms).  7

People with Celiac Disease are 40 to 100 times at risk for gastrointestinal cancer. 1

• About 3 to 8 percent of people with type 1 diabetes will have biopsy-confirmed celiac disease, and 5 to 10 percent of people with Down syndrome will be diagnosed with celiac disease.  5
• 12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.  6
• 6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.  6

There are no signs or symptoms typical for all people with celiac disease. Signs and symptoms and can vary greatly from person to person. 2

• CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.  6
• Only 35% of newly diagnosed patients had chronic diarrhea, dispelling the myth that diarrhea must be present to diagnose celiac disease.  7
• 30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.  6

CD can present at any age from 6 months on. 4

• Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.  6

Women more affected than men. 4

The US Department of Agriculture projects that the GF industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010. 6

GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts. 6

• 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.  7

The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day – or 1/48th of a slice of bread. 6

There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD. 6

References:

1. National Institutes of Health via celiac.com 6/26/2007
2. celiac.com 2/8/2007
3. Reader’s Digest: Feb 2004 via wrongdiagnosis.com
4. The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008 via wrongdiagnosis.com
5. celiac-disease.emedtv.com 1/6/2007
6. glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com 20/23/2008
7. Univ. of Chicago Celiac Disease Center 02/2003