FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN CASES OF COELIAC DISEASE IN THE UK
by Pharmacy Life - Published on 12 May 2014
New research from the University of Nottingham that has found a four-fold increase in the rate of diagnosed cases of coeliac disease in the United Kingdom over the past two decades, but three quarters of people with coeliac disease remain undiagnosed.
The National Institute of Health & Care Excellence (NICE) previously estimated that only ten-fifteen per cent of those with coeliac disease had been diagnosed, however, this latest research by Dr Joe West from University of Nottingham, funded by Coeliac UK and CORE has shown that the level of diagnosis has increased to 24 per cent.
Researchers identified the number of people diagnosed during the study period using the diagnostic codes for coeliac disease recorded in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (1990-2011).
This research, published by The American Journal of Gastroenterology, comes out as the charity celebrates its annual Awareness campaign which this year is entitled the ‘Gluten-free Guarantee’ and aims to improve availability of gluten-free foods in stores across the UK.
‘This latest research shows that nearly a quarter of people with coeliac disease have now been diagnosed and gives an up-to-date picture of the diagnosis levels across the UK,’ said Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK. ‘Of course, increasing numbers with a diagnosis is good news and will inevitably mean that there will be an increased demand for gluten-free products in supermarkets. But the three quarters undiagnosed is around 500,000 people – a shocking statistic that needs urgent action.’