Is MS hereditary?

I'm no expert by any means, but I've searched around the internet doing some research on this question. It sounds like there is a genetic component to it all, but genetics isn't the deciding factor. Someone with an identical twin suffering from MS is said to have about a 25% change of suffering from this illness according to one web page. A child of someone with MS might have a 1% chance of having the illness. I couldn't find the numbers for a grandchild. A person with no known relatives with the disease is believed to have about a one in 750 chance of having the disease. I don't know what kind of research went into coming up with these percentages.

There's an ethnic, geographic, and gender component to MS that is very interesting too. MS is much more prevalent in the extreme northern and southern parts of the globe. Canada, Northern Europe, and South Africa have higher rates. People of Northern European ancestry have a higher rate, while people with African or Native American ancestry are said to have a lower rate. Also women are statistically at greater risk of suffering from MS. Having said that, we have several African American members here. I'm mixed American Indian and White (and male) and not yet diagnosed.

I hope this helps and doesn't just confuse the situation.

KJ

Hi Concerned,

I think KJ gave a pretty good answer.  He obviously did some research.

One thing we have to remember is no one knows what causes MS.  Members of a family are carrying a similar set of genes, but they also have similar ethnic and geographic history. Until we know the cause, we will not have a definite answer.

There is a chance they will develop MS, but there is also a chance they will not.  Good luck to you and your family.

From the reading I have done, I understood that it was not hereditary or genetic.  What research has shown is that they don't know the cause but since sibilings grow up in the same household and are exposed essentially to the same household chemicals, diet, water, and overall environment, that if one sibling has MS the other would have a higher chance then in a home that has no one with MS.  But again, there is no shown cause to base this off of statistically.