Prevalence

It is thought that PBC is most common in Scandinavia, Scotland and North East England, although it is found in people all over the world.

In each of these areas it has been shown that as many as one woman in four hundred over the age of forty may have PBC although in many the illness may be silent (asymptomatic) and will never become serious.

As there are no good identifiable risk factors, it is not yet known whether it is possible to prevent the disease.