Celiac Disease: Incidence and Causes

Celiac Disease, hereby CD, is a disease that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten (Guandalini & Assiri, 2014). It results in a disorder in the small intestine due to an inflammatory reaction to the gluten molecule (Guandalini & Assiri, 2014). Approximately 1 % of the European and USAs population suffers from CD (Guandalini et al., 2014). The name celiac derives from the Greek "koiliakos", meaning "belly" (Woodward, 2010). Only 10% to 15% of this affected population have been diagnosed and treated (Guandalini & Assiri, 2014). There is a wide array of clinical signs for celiac disease, many of them are not directly related to the gastrointestinal tract and this may therefore delay the diagnosis (Kagnoff, 2012). This is a disease that can affect people in any age and the treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Signs and symptoms

Gastrointestinal tract

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The primary reaction is the inflammation and damage of the small intestine and as a result the absorbance of important nutrients such as iron, folate, vitamin B12, calcium, proteins, fats and fat-soluble vitamins suffers. This causes secondary reactions as anemia, osteoporosis and abnormal bleeding. Celiac disease is frequently found together with other autoimmune diseases, for exam