Is Parkinson’s Disease Hereditary?

If Parkinson’s seems to run in your family, you may ask — is Parkinson’s disease hereditary? Although most cases are not hereditary, genes do play a role.

You may worry you’ll develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) one day if one or more family members have been diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease. If you have Parkinson’s, you could be concerned your children are at risk for the movement disorder.

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Is Parkinson’s disease hereditary?

Only about 10 to 15 percent of Parkinson’s disease cases are hereditary, the Parkinson’s Foundation points out. PD that begins before the age of 50 is called early-onset Parkinson’s and is often inherited, while some forms have been linked to specific gene mutations, the National Institute on Aging explains.

It’s also documented that having a first degree relative (parent or sibling) with Parkinson’s disease does increase your risk of having the disease.

Parkinson’s disease and your genes

The vast majority of Parkinson’s disease cases, 85 to 90 percent, are called sporadic (or occasional) and are not labeled as hereditary, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. In fact, most cases of Parkinson disease occur in people with no known family history of the disease.

While sporadic cases are not considered examples of hereditary Parkinson’s disease, there may be undiscovered inheritance patterns that play a role in raising the risk of PD, the National Institutes of Health explains.

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