Celiac Disease

celiac disease, also called nontropical sprue or celiac sprue, an inherited autoimmune digestive disorder in which affected individuals cannot tolerate gluten, a protein constituent of wheat, barley, malt, and rye flours. General symptoms of the disease include the passage of foul pale-coloured stools (steatorrhea), progressive malnutrition, diarrhea, decreased appetite and weight loss, multiple vitamin deficiencies, stunting of growth, abdominal pain, skin rash, and defects in tooth enamel. Advanced disease may be characterized by anemia, osteoporosis, vision disturbances, or amenorrhea (absence of menstruation in women).

Celiac disease is estimated to occur in 0.5 to 1.0 percent of people in Europe and the United States. Similar prevalence rates have been found in several other countries. Evidence suggests, however, that the prevalence of celiac disease can vary greatly by region. Moreover, only a small percentage of affected persons are actually diagnosed with celiac disease, suggesting that prevalence rates could be higher than estimated.