Real risk of inheriting asthma





There's new research showing that the chance that you can inherit asthma from your mom or dad is much smaller than what people used to think.

Hmmm......I'm not sure if I believe that. 

I had always read research that said if you have one or both parents who have asthma, its' more likely that you will develop asthma. 


"Blame Mom or Dad or both for your asthma. Your inherited genetic makeup predisposes you to having asthma. In fact, it's thought that three-fifths of all asthma cases are hereditary. According to a CDC report, if a person has a parent with asthma, he or she is three to six times more likely to develop asthma than someone who does not have a parent with asthma."
 

"The exact cause of asthma isn't known. Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors interact to cause asthma, most often early in life. These factors include:
  • An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy (AT-o-pe)
  • Parents who have asthma
  • Certain respiratory infections during childhood
  • Contact with some airborne allergens or exposure to some viral infections in infancy or in early childhood when the immune system is developing
If asthma or atopy runs in your family, exposure to irritants (for example, tobacco smoke) may make your airways more reactive to substances in the air.
Some factors may be more likely to cause asthma in some people than in others. Researchers continue to explore what causes asthma."

Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center studied 11,00 people and found that there were 3 genes that were linked to asthma. Those genes were only found in 5% of the people. So, they say that the chances that you can inherit asthma from your mom or dad are small.

Lucky me! And my 3 kids - who all inherited their asthma from me :(

In our family, hubby and I both have parents that have asthma, as well as brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. It's everywhere!! :(
 
So, in our case it seems like we may carry the 3 defective genes. Sigh.
 

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