Is multiple sclerosis a hereditary condition?

In part: Hereditary risk is one factor, but the interplay between genetic background and environment is likely in this disease. Identical twins studies show about a 30% risk for MS if one twin has the disease (certainly not 100%). Population studies show certain ancestry may increase or decrease risk (e.g. Northern european ancestry high, whereas asian, african, aboriginal very low).

Multiple Sclerosis: A danish study does suggest that relatives of ms patients may be as much as seven times more likely to get the disease compared to people with no known relatives with the disease. This may be the result of common genetics.It could also be caused by common environmental exposures. No one knows for sure.. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/pmh0001747/.

NO: Although it occurs in those who are genetically susceptible, such as HLA-B-1*1501, in absence of added environmental factors, would not arise. Not a true heredity which is clearly passed from parents to children in any fashion, and familial incidence is truly rather low in offspring.