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Decreasing incidence of celiac disease in Southern Sweden

Lexner, Jesper LU ; Clarkson, Spencer and Sjöberg, Klas LU orcid (2024) In Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 59(9). p.1039-1048
Abstract

Background: The incidence of celiac disease (CD) has increased rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but there are recent reports of rates levelling off in countries with a high prevalence. The aim of this study was to investigate current trends in CD in southern Sweden. Patients and methods: Children and adults diagnosed with CD by biopsy or serology in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden, from 2010–2022 were included. The home address was identified through registers to analyze temporal and geographical trends. Results: A total of 3218 CD-patients were identified (52.2% children), the vast majority detected in clinical care but a few children by screening studies. The age-standardized incidence rate... (More)

Background: The incidence of celiac disease (CD) has increased rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but there are recent reports of rates levelling off in countries with a high prevalence. The aim of this study was to investigate current trends in CD in southern Sweden. Patients and methods: Children and adults diagnosed with CD by biopsy or serology in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden, from 2010–2022 were included. The home address was identified through registers to analyze temporal and geographical trends. Results: A total of 3218 CD-patients were identified (52.2% children), the vast majority detected in clinical care but a few children by screening studies. The age-standardized incidence rate was 18.6 cases/105. The incidence decreased at a rate of −0.75 cases/105 (95% CI −1.14 to −0.35, p 0.002). The incidence among girls under 18 years almost halved throughout the study period, decreasing by −2.94 cases/105 (95% CI −4.59 to −1.29, p 0.002), while there only were small changes among men. The most common age of onset was 3–9 years. CD incidence varied by place of living and was more common in small towns than urban or rural areas. Conclusions: The incidence of CD in southern Sweden is decreasing, primarily in children and women who traditionally have had the highest risk of CD. CD was diagnosed most frequently in children 3–9 years old. There were regional variations in incidence. CD was most common in small towns, pointing to the importance of environmental factors in CD etiology.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Celiac disease, epidemiology, gluten, incidence, risk, Scandinavia, Sweden
in
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
volume
59
issue
9
pages
10 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85198384937
  • pmid:38993108
ISSN
0036-5521
DOI
10.1080/00365521.2024.2378045
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9a6a141d-9357-4c0a-9b5f-3659450b4db1
date added to LUP
2024-11-27 15:36:49
date last changed
2025-07-10 10:18:35
@article{9a6a141d-9357-4c0a-9b5f-3659450b4db1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: The incidence of celiac disease (CD) has increased rapidly in the late 20<sup>th</sup> and early 21<sup>st</sup> centuries, but there are recent reports of rates levelling off in countries with a high prevalence. The aim of this study was to investigate current trends in CD in southern Sweden. Patients and methods: Children and adults diagnosed with CD by biopsy or serology in the region of Skåne, southern Sweden, from 2010–2022 were included. The home address was identified through registers to analyze temporal and geographical trends. Results: A total of 3218 CD-patients were identified (52.2% children), the vast majority detected in clinical care but a few children by screening studies. The age-standardized incidence rate was 18.6 cases/10<sup>5</sup>. The incidence decreased at a rate of −0.75 cases/10<sup>5</sup> (95% CI −1.14 to −0.35, p 0.002). The incidence among girls under 18 years almost halved throughout the study period, decreasing by −2.94 cases/10<sup>5</sup> (95% CI −4.59 to −1.29, p 0.002), while there only were small changes among men. The most common age of onset was 3–9 years. CD incidence varied by place of living and was more common in small towns than urban or rural areas. Conclusions: The incidence of CD in southern Sweden is decreasing, primarily in children and women who traditionally have had the highest risk of CD. CD was diagnosed most frequently in children 3–9 years old. There were regional variations in incidence. CD was most common in small towns, pointing to the importance of environmental factors in CD etiology.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lexner, Jesper and Clarkson, Spencer and Sjöberg, Klas}},
  issn         = {{0036-5521}},
  keywords     = {{Celiac disease; epidemiology; gluten; incidence; risk; Scandinavia; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{1039--1048}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology}},
  title        = {{Decreasing incidence of celiac disease in Southern Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00365521.2024.2378045}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00365521.2024.2378045}},
  volume       = {{59}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}