At least a part of the immune system can be influenced by heredity, and the inheritance of the coeliac condition is very common among blood relatives. Close relatives (parents, children, brothers and sisters) have a ten percent incidence rate, and with identical twins the incidence is at least seventy percent.
Coeliac disease is genetic, or hereditary, which means it runs in families, but not everyone who carries the genes develops the disease.
There are many factors that determine whether or not a person develops coeliac disease during their lifetime. If you have a first-degree relative – a parent, child or full sibling – with coeliac disease, you have a 1 in 10 risk of developing it too.
There are many different symptoms associated with coeliac disease, including bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Some coeliac patients do not even show significant external symptoms, making it important to screen individuals with coeliac disease in their family.
