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Genetics Home Reference: your guide to understanding genetic conditions  
 
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What does it mean if a disorder seems to run in my family?

A particular disorder might be described as “running in a family” if more than one person in the family has the condition. Some disorders that affect multiple family members are caused by gene mutations, which can be inherited (passed down from parent to child). Other conditions that appear to run in families are not inherited. Instead, environmental factors such as dietary habits or a combination of genetic and environmental factors are responsible for these disorders.

It is not always easy to determine whether a condition in a family is inherited. A genetics professional can use a person's family history (a record of health information about a person's immediate and extended family) to help determine whether a disorder has a genetic component.

A condition can affect several generations of a family.
Some disorders are seen in more than one generation of a family.

For general information about disorders that run in families:

Genetics Home Reference provides consumer-friendly summaries of genetic conditions. Each summary includes a brief description of the condition, an explanation of its genetic cause, and information about the condition's frequency and pattern of inheritance.

The National Human Genome Research Institute fact sheet Frequently Asked Questions About GeneticsThis link leads to a site outside Genetics Home Reference. offers a general description of genetic disorders. Please refer to the first two questions, “What are genetic disorders?” and “How do I find more information about a specific disorder or learn whether a particular disease has a genetic component?”

The Department of Energy offers a fact sheet called Genetic Disease Information—Pronto!This link leads to a site outside Genetics Home Reference.


Next Topic: What are the different ways in which a genetic condition can be inherited?

 
Published: October 8, 2004

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