How likely is it that I will get Multiple Sclerosis?

My fathers mother had it and she passed it on to my father, who was the only one to get it out of the 9 children his mother had. My father got it when he was around 43 years old, now 50.

I was wondering what are the chances of me getting it as well?
I have 1 sister who is 19 and I am 17 (male)

There is has been no one with it in my mothers family.

Wow, you got a ton of different answers, and they're all a little off the mark (sorry, other answerers...).

There is indeed a genetic component to MS. Although they don't know exactly what it is, your chance of developing MS is higher. The chance of the average person in society developing MS is 1 in 750. When you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, etc) who has MS, your chance goes up to anywhere between 1 in 100 and 1 in 40.

It's not all genetic, though, as shown by the identical twin numbers. If you have an identical twin (same genes, etc) who has MS, your chance of developing MS is 1 in 4. If it were all genetic, your chance would be 100%, the fact that you'd have a 1 in 4 chance shows that there are other factors involved as well.

There is no evidence to suggest that fathers are less likely to pass on MS than mothers, but there is evidence that shows that women are two to three times more likely to develop MS than men. Scientists believe this may be hormonally related.

The large majority of people develop MS between the ages of 20 and 50, so you're approaching the age range where most people develop MS. However, young children (called pediatric MS) and significantly older people can also develop MS, although the chances are slim. For example, you only have a 7% chance of developing MS beyond age 50.

Where on the earth you grow up also plays a part in determining your risk. People get MS at much higher rates above 40 degrees latitude. Scientists believe this may be related to the body's generation of Vitamin D with direct sunlight, as Vitamin D has recently been shown to have a prophylactic effect on MS development.

When you lived in one of those areas is also a factor as well. If you lived above 40 degrees before age 15, the risk manifests itself during your lifetime. If you move to a place above 40 degrees after age 15, the risk seems to transfer to the next generation of your family.

There are other factors as well, like the infectious trigger which has yet to be discovered, and also ethnicity (MS is most common among white people of Eastern European descent).

So statistically, your chance of getting MS is somewhere between 1 in 100 and 1 in 40. We will keep our fingers crossed for you.

hth - good luck

MS is not directly inherited like some genetic diseases, like
cystic fibrosis. The evidence shows that there is about a 2%
chance of a child born to a parent with MS developing MS
themselves. There are currently no genetic or prenatal tests,
or even tests on your newborn, that can determine the
likelihood of this happening.

Multiple Sclerosis cannot be passed on. Males are far less likely to get MS anyway. Your chances are around 2%.

I have heard 2%, 10% or even 20% chance....but since you are male it is less likely. Women get it much more frequently than men do.

Very unlikely! It is rarely inherited.