How Common for Autoimmune Diseases to be Passed Genetically?

Autoimmune diseases can be deadly and nerve-wracking since they take over a person’s body. I have fought autoimmune diseases since my twenties, and now I am due with my first child. This made me wonder, how common is it for autoimmune diseases to be passed genetically?

After doing some research on how autoimmune diseases are passed along to children, I was surprised by the findings. If you are interested in the topic, then this blog is for you. I will be discussing in-depth everything you need to know if you want to know more about the commonality of autoimmunity being passed genetically.

How Common for Autoimmune Diseases to be Passed Genetically?

Autoimmune diseases are genetic conditions that affect the way your body’s immune system works. Your immune system protects you from things like infections and harmful substances. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells, tissues, and organs in your body by mistake.

Autoimmune diseases can be passed genetically from parent to child. Some autoimmune diseases are caused by a mutation in one gene (or a small number of genes), while others are caused by mutations in many different genres.

If you have an autoimmune disease, it’s important to know how common it is for your children to get the same condition or for them to pass it on genetically to their children.

Autoimmune diseases are a collection of more than 80 different disorders that are caused by the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking its tissues.

The causes of autoimmune diseases are not well understood, but there is evidence that genetics play a role in their development. In fact, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), up to 30% of people with an autoimmune disease have a family member who has one as well.

Some autoimmune diseases can be passed from parent to child through genes, but most do not result from an inherited gene mutation. Rather, they develop because of environmental factors or lifestyle choices that increase your risk of developing an autoimmune disease.

For example:

Age: People over 60 years old have an increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Gender: Women are more likely than men to get rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, while men have a higher risk than women for getting type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Lifestyle choices: Smoking cigarettes increases the risk for lupus and Crohn’s disease; drinking alcohol increases your risk for celiac disease