The amount of pizza we're eating has gone up dramatically. The amount of fast food that we eat, of course, has increased dramatically," says Dr. Murray. There also may be a dose effect of gluten in those who are at a genetic risk.
Celiac disease incidence among children was 21.3 per 100,000 person-years, compared to 12.9 per 100,000 person-years in adults. Examination over time shows that these incidence rates are increasing, with an average of 7.5% increase per year over the past several decades.
In the 1970s, the HLA-DQ2 gene is associated with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. Then in the 1980s, the connection between celiac disease and autoimmune diseases, such as Type 1 Diabetes, becomes accepted within the medical community.
The highest prevalence rate of celiac disease worldwide has been reported in North Africa. There is evidence that the prevalence rates of celiac disease in parts of North India are comparable to those in the West; celiac disease has also been reported among South Asian immigrants in the United Kingdom.
Coeliac disease is caused by an abnormal immune system reaction to the protein gluten, which is found in foods such as bread, pasta, cereals and biscuits.
About 40% of people carry the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes, which make people susceptible to gluten sensitivity. In the American Journal of Gastroenterology, one study concluded that gluten seems to be a trigger in people that did not have a diagnosed gluten disorder.
“Experts used to think people were born with the risk of celiac disease and would develop it as soon as they ate gluten,” says Dr. Rubio Tapia. “But now we know you can develop celiac disease at any age.”
How common is the condition? Coeliac disease affects on average approximately 1 in 70 Australians. However, around 80% of this number remain undiagnosed.
New Zealand. A bit like Finland, New Zealand have a fair amount of Coeliacs which makes gluten free more common and knowledge even more wide spread. There are dedicated gluten free bakeries around, and even Chinese restaurants that cater well. Ice cream parlours not only have cones but also toppings that are safe too.
Welcome to Finland, where the locals know almost as much about celiac disease as they do about heavy metal, and where the rate of diagnosis astonishes.
Celiac disease cannot be cured. Your symptoms will go away and the villi in the intestines will heal if you follow a lifelong gluten-free diet.
There will be no approved treatments or a cure for celiac disease without clinical trials. That means there will be no approved treatments or a cure for celiac disease if we can't find patients willing to participate in clinical trials.
Most people who've been diagnosed and have stopped eating gluten have an excellent prognosis. Most of the damage done by celiac disease can be undone.
Race. Celiac disease usually affects individuals of the non-Hispanic white race (1000 per 100,000 individuals), Hispanics (300 per 100,000 individuals) and non-Hispanic blacks (200 per 100,000 individuals).
Australia
It's hardly surprising that Australia, a country riding the crest of a food revolution wave, is gluten-free friendly. What is surprising is just how gluten-free friendly it is.
About 11 per cent of Australian adults follow a gluten-free diet. Less than 0.5 per cent does this for diagnosed coeliac disease.
Italians are very conscious of the connection between health and food, and have worked hard to adapt their regional cuisine to accommodate a gluten-free diet. So, despite gluten being a common component of many classic Italian dishes and desserts, Italy is an easy place to find great gluten-free food.
The term gluten belly is used to define the feeling that some people experience after eating foods containing gluten. This sensation usually consists of feeling sick, tired, or bloated.
SBS spoke to a French baker in September about baguettes who revealed the biggest difference between a French baguette and some Australian loaves is the absence of sugar, fat, or enhancers. He also explained that the Aussie variety of wheat is much more “glutenous”.
Complications of coeliac disease only tend to affect people who continue to eat gluten, or those who have not yet been diagnosed with the condition, which can be a common problem in milder cases. Potential long-term complications include: weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) iron deficiency anaemia.
The two genes most closely linked to celiac disease are HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8. Nearly everyone who is diagnosed with celiac disease carries at least one of these two genes that they inherited from their mother or father, Dr. Rubio Tapia says.
Most people with celiac disease will have a normal life-expectancy, providing they are able to manage the condition by adhering to a lifelong gluten-free diet. Gluten is not an essential part of your diet, so can be safely removed from your diet and replaced with 'safe' foods, or gluten-free alternatives.
Celiac disease tends to cluster in families. Parents, siblings, or children (first-degree relatives ) of people with celiac disease have between a 4 and 15 percent chance of developing the disorder. However, the inheritance pattern is unknown.