Both men and women are at risk for celiac disease. People of any age or race can develop this genetic autoimmune condition. However, there are some factors that can increase your risk of developing celiac disease.
About 95% of people with celiac disease have the HLA-DQ2 gene, and most of the remaining 5% have the HLA-DQ8 gene. Genetic testing can determine if you have one or both of these genes.
It is important to note that having the gene means you are at-risk for developing celiac disease, it but does not mean that you definitely have the disease. About 30% of the population have these genes, but only about 1% of the total population ever develop celiac disease.
A positive genetic test should be followed up with a celiac disease blood panel to determine if you have celiac disease. You must be eating gluten for at least six weeks prior to getting the celiac disease blood panel for accurate results. If you are already gluten-free diet but still want to get tested with the blood panel, consult a physician for next steps.
As established, most people with celiac disease have certain genes, so it is more common in those with a family history of the condition. This means that if you have a blood relative with celiac disease, you are at an increased risk for developing it, too. This autoimmune condition occurs in up to 5-10% of family members of people diagnosed with celiac disease.
Learn more about Celiac Disease in Families
Having an autoimmune disease makes you more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease. Patients with thyroid diseases or type 1 diabetes are particularly likely to develop celiac disease, and vice versa. Other examples of autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, vitiligo, and Sjögren’s syndrome.
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