The prevalence of coeliac disease is estimated to be on the rise, but the number of diagnoses remains too low.
Coeliac disease, the most common autoimmune disease in children, which primarily involves the intestine and the immune system, has an overall prevalence of 1% [1]. An estimated figure, however, that does not take either wide local variations or undiagnosed cases into account. Sweden and Finland, for example, but also certain geographically localised populations of India and North Africa are among the countries with a higher prevalence. In Asia, the condition is extremely rare and the causes are still unknown, although they may be related to the eating habits of that area.
The Italian case is emblematic of this situation, as evidenced by recent research conducted by the Italian Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Società Italiana di Gastroenterologia ed Epatologia Pediatrica, SIGENP) Coordinated by Carlo Catassi and the team of the Division of Pediatrics and Center for Celiac Research, DISCO department, Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, and published in the journal Digestive and Liver Disease. The multicentre study, conducted on 9,000 children in 9 different cities, shows that in Italy, coeliac disease affects about 1 in 60 children (prevalence 1.65%), one of the highest figures in the world, with an underdiagnosis rate of almost 60% [2].
Despite the enormous strides made in recent years, underdiagnosis remains a major problem in the population. The indications exemplary that emerged from the Italian study, emphasise the need to intercept those cases that escape traditional clinical observation by the paediatrician through widespread screening campaigns, starting from school age, and to prevent a worsening of the health of today’s children and tomorrow’s adults. Late diagnosis of coeliac disease is linked to a series of complications such as stunted growth in children, or osteoporosis and infertility in adults.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which cannot be cured and for which the only available treatment is a gluten-free diet to be followed for life.
Following a gluten-free diet, especially in the initial stages after diagnosis, requires adaptation and ongoing commitment, but with the right attention and support, it can be managed effectively without giving up the pleasure of good food. As a company that has been committed to improving the lives of those who have to follow a specific diet since its foundation, we are firmly convinced of this. We constantly strive to develop high-quality gluten-free products that cater for all palates and dietary needs. Our commitment is not only related to the production of products but also to raising awareness of gluten-related disorders and to ongoing, continuous support for consumers, in order to accompany them step by step in coping with coeliac disease, without having to give anything up.
Reference:
[1] Relazione annuale al Parlamento sulla celiachia
Anno 2021
[2] E. Lionetti, D. Pjetraj, S. Gatti et al., Prevalence and detection rate of celiac disease in Italy: Results of a SIGENP multicenter screening in school-age children, Digestive and Liver Disease https://www.dldjournalonline.com/article/S1590-8658(22)00871-4/fulltext