Autoimmune Hepatitis Prevalence and Epidemiology

Global and Regional Prevalence

The global prevalence of autoimmune hepatitis is approximately 17.44 per 100,000 persons, with substantial geographic variation ranging from 4 per 100,000 in Singapore to 42.9 per 100,000 in Alaskan Natives 1
Regional variations show a prevalence of 12.99 per 100,000 persons in Asia, 19.44 per 100,000 persons in Europe, and 22.80 per 100,000 persons in North America 1, 2

Alaskan Natives demonstrate the highest documented prevalence at 42.9 per 100,000 persons, with characteristically acute icteric presentations 3, 4
South Korea reports a prevalence of 4.82 per 100,000 persons, which increased from 3.9 per 100,000 in 2009 to 5.76 per 100,000 in 2013 1, 5
Singapore shows the lowest reported prevalence at 4 per 100,000 persons 3, 4
Female predominance is marked, with women comprising 71-95% of adult cases and 60-76% of pediatric cases 3, 6
The female-to-male ratio is approximately 6:1 in most populations 1, 5

Peak prevalence occurs in the 60s age group for females and in the 70s for males in South Korean data 1, 5
The disease affects all age groups, from children to the elderly 3, 2

Children demonstrate lower prevalence rates, with non-native Canadian children having a prevalence of 2.4 per 100,000 persons and native Canadian children having a prevalence of 9.9 per 100,000 persons 3

Increasing prevalence has been documented over recent decades, with nearly 50% increases reported in Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands since 2000 3, 2
The incidence in Denmark doubled from 1994 to 2012, reaching a point prevalence of 24 per 100,000 by 2012 2

These prevalence figures likely represent underestimates, as 25-37% of AIH patients are asymptomatic at diagnosis and may remain undetected 1, 5
Additionally, 13-32% of patients already have cirrhosis at diagnosis, suggesting delayed recognition 1, 5