Incidence and prevalence of coeliac disease in the UK

Project Title: Contemporary epidemiology of coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the United Kingdom 

Previously funded epidemiology research has shown that only 30% of the 1 in 100 who have coeliac disease have been diagnosed which means there are currently nearly half a million people who have the condition but don’t yet know. The aim of this research project was to provide the most up to date information on the diagnosis of coeliac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the UK.

Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), which collects anonymised general practice healthcare records, the researchers determined how many people are living with each condition and how many are newly diagnosed each year. The number of people diagnosed was described by age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geographical region.

The researchers looked at how many people were previously diagnosed or treated for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) before being diagnosed with coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease.

Epidemiology studies are important for understanding the possible causes of the diseases and why they are more common in some people or geographical areas than others. This can be used to help identify people or areas that need targeting for diagnostic investigation or increased awareness of symptoms.