Is Multiple Sclerosisan inherted disease

Answer 1

There is a component of MS that is genetic. We know this based on the observation of parents with MS and the likelihood that their children will get MS. For example, the average risk of developing MS is about 1 in 750. For someone with a parent or sibling who has MS, that risk increases to anywhere between 1 in 100 to 1 in 40. It is not all genetic, though. We know this based on the identical twin scenario. For identical twins, who share the exact same DNA types, physical traits, etc., if one twin has MS, the other twin has a 1 in 4 chance of developing MS. If it were completely genetic, the other twin would have a 100% chance of developing MS, but since they have a 25% chance, we know that there are other factors involved along with genetics, like the infectious trigger which has yet to be identified.