Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Celiac Disease Is Diagnosed Less Frequently in Young Adult Males

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The female predominance in celiac disease is difficult to explain because population-based screening studies reveal similar rates for celiac disease-specific autoantibodies in males and females.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore the role of age and gender in the presentation of celiac disease.

Methods

The frequency of presentation according to age, gender and mode of presentation was determined by analysis of a prospectively maintained database of children and adults seen at a tertiary medical center.

Results

Of 1,682 patients (68 % female) aged 3 months to 86 years who were diagnosed with celiac disease, age at diagnosis in females peaked at 40–45 years, whereas the age at diagnosis for males had two peaks: 10–15 and 35–40 years. A significantly lower percentage of males in early adulthood were diagnosed compared with males in all other age groups (P < 0.0001). The young and elderly had a more even gender distribution.

Conclusions

Based on our analysis, males are diagnosed with celiac disease less frequently than females, especially in early adulthood. There should be more emphasis on the diagnosis of celiac disease among young adult males.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jabri B, Sollid LM. Mechanisms of disease: immunopathogenesis of celiac disease. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006;3:516–525.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Green PHR, Cellier C. Celiac disease. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:1731–1743.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Mäki M, Mustalahti K, Kokkonen J, et al. Prevalence of celiac disease among children in Finland. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:2517–2524.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. West J, Logan RFA, Hill PG, et al. Seroprevalence, correlates, and characteristics of undetected coeliac disease in England. Gut. 2003;52:960–965.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jamma S, Rubio-Tapia A, Kelly CP, et al. Celiac crisis is a rare but serious complication of celiac disease in adults. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;8:587–590.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ludvigsson JF, Leffler DA, Bai JC, et al. The Oslo definitions for coeliac disease and related terms. Gut. 2013;62:43–52.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Green PHR, Stavropoulos SN, Panagi SG, et al. Characteristics of adult celiac disease in the USA: results of a national survey. Am J Gastroenterol. 2001;96:126–131.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Murray JA, Van Dyke C, Plevak MF, Dierkhising RA, Zinsmeister AR, Melton LJ. Trends in the identification and clinical features of celiac disease in a North American community, 1950–2001. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2003;1:19–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ciacci C, Cirillo M, Sollazzo R, Savino G, Sabbatini F, Mazzacca G. Gender and clinical presentation in adult celiac disease. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1995;30:1077–1081.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Rubio-Tapia A, Kyle RA, Kaplan EL, et al. Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:88–93.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fasano A, Berti I, Gerarduzzi T, et al. Prevalence of celiac disease in at-risk and not-at-risk groups in the United States: a large multicenter study. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:286–292.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Walker MM, Murray JA, Ronkainen J, et al. Detection of celiac disease and lymphocytic enteropathy by parallel serology and histopathology in a population-based study. Gastroenterology. 2010;139:112–119.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lohi S, Mustalahti K, Kaukinen K, et al. Increasing prevalence of coeliac disease over time. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007;26:1217–1225.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Katz KD, Rashtak S, Lahr BD, et al. Screening for celiac disease in a North American population: sequential serology and gastrointestinal symptoms. Am J Gastroenterol. 2011;106:1333–1339.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Not T, Horvath K, Hill ID, et al. Celiac disease risk in the USA: high prevalence of antiendomysium antibodies in healthy blood donors. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1998;33:494–498.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. White LE, Merrick VM, Bannerman E, et al. The rising incidence of celiac disease in Scotland. Pediatrics. 2013;132:e924–e931.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Mankaï A, Landolsi H, Chahed A, et al. Celiac disease in Tunisia: serological screening in healthy blood donors. Pathol Biol (Paris). 2006;54:10–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Bahari A, Karimi M, Sanei-Moghaddam I, Firouzi F, Hashemi M. Prevalence of celiac disease among blood donors in Sistan and Balouchestan Province, Southeastern Iran. Arch Iran Med. 2010;13:301–305.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gandolfi L, Pratesi R, Cordoba JC, Tauil PL, Gasparin M, Catassi C. Prevalence of celiac disease among blood donors in Brazil. Am J Gastroenterol. 2000;95:689–692.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Weile I, Grodzinsky E, Skogh T, Jordal R, Cavell B, Krasilnikoff PA. High prevalence rates of adult silent coeliac disease, as seen in Sweden, must be expected in Denmark. APMIS. 2001;109:745–750.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Melo SBC, Fernandes MIM, Peres LC, Troncon LEA, Galvão LC. Prevalence and demographic characteristics of celiac disease among blood donors in Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Dig Dis Sci. 2006;51:1020–1025.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Alencar ML, Ortiz-Agostinho CL, Nishitokukado L, et al. Prevalence of celiac disease among blood donors in São Paulo: the most populated city in Brazil. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2012;67:1013–1018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sárdy M, Kornseé Z, Kelemen D, Papp S, Medvecz M, Kárpáti S. Celiac disease screening among healthy blood donors in Hungary. Z Gastroenterol. 2013;51:1235–1239.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kochhar R, Sachdev S, Kochhar R, et al. Prevalence of coeliac disease in healthy blood donors: a study from north India. Dig Liver Dis. 2012;44:530–532.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Shamir R, Lerner A, Shinar E, et al. The use of a single serological marker underestimates the prevalence of celiac disease in Israel: a study of blood donors. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:2589–2594.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Drossman DA, Li Z, Andruzzi E, et al. U.S. householder survey of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Prevalence, sociodemography, and health impact. Dig Dis Sci. 1993;38:1569–1580.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lockshin MD. Sex differences in autoimmune disease. Lupus. 2006;15:753–756.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Bai D, Brar P, Holleran S, Ramakrishnan R, Green PHR. Effect of gender on the manifestations of celiac disease: evidence for greater malabsorption in men. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2005;40:183–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Juel K, Christensen K. Are men seeking medical advice too late? Contacts to general practitioners and hospital admissions in Denmark 2005. J Public Health (Oxf). 2008;30:111–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Oksuzyan A, Juel K, Vaupel JW, Christensen K. Men: good health and high mortality. Sex differences in health and aging. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2008;20:91–102.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Rohit Dixit, Benjamin Lebwohl, Suzanne K. Lewis & Peter H. R. Green

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Norelle Rizkalla-Reilly

  3. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital–Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jonas F. Ludvigsson

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden

    Jonas F. Ludvigsson

  5. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, 180 Fort Washington Ave, Room 936, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Peter H. R. Green

Authors
  1. Rohit Dixit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Benjamin Lebwohl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jonas F. Ludvigsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Suzanne K. Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Norelle Rizkalla-Reilly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Peter H. R. Green
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter H. R. Green.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dixit, R., Lebwohl, B., Ludvigsson, J.F. et al. Celiac Disease Is Diagnosed Less Frequently in Young Adult Males. Dig Dis Sci 59, 1509–1512 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3025-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-014-3025-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation