How common is Niemann-Pick disease?
Niemann-Pick disease type A occurs more frequently among individuals of Ashkenazi (eastern and central European) Jewish descent than in the general population. The incidence within the Ashkenazi population is approximately 1 in 40,000. The incidence of both Niemann-Pick disease types A and B in all other populations is estimated to be 1 in 250,000. The incidence of Niemann-Pick disease type C is estimated to be 1 in 150,000. The disease occurs more frequently in people of French-Acadian descent in Nova Scotia. The French-Acadians were previously designated as having Niemann-Pick disease type D. This term is no longer used since it was shown that affected people have mutations in the gene associated with Niemann-Pick disease type C1.
