Epidemiology of Celiac Disease.

Celiac disease (CeD) is one the commonest life-long diseases on a worldwide scale. The incidence today ranges from sporadic cases up to around 50 cases per 100,000 person-years and is generally increasing. The prevalence is much higher than previously thought, mostly 1% to 2% in the general population in countries where wheat is the staple food. Most cases of CeD remain undiagnosed if not proactively searched for by mass screening. Epidemiology of CeD can be positioned in 1 of 4 stages: emergence, acceleration in incidence, compound prevalence, and prevalence equilibrium. Each of these stages has its clinical challenges.