Is Parkinson's inherited?

There is no conclusive evidence that Parkinson's is a hereditary condition that can be passed on within families apart from in exceptionally rare cases (up to 5%). It is rare to find more than one person in a family who has Parkinson's, although occasionally it does seem to run in particular families. In most cases, the development is sporadic.

It is thought that although Parkinson's is not directly inherited, some people may inherit a genetic susceptibility to develop Parkinson's. This means people with this genetic susceptibility may be more likely to develop Parkinson's when combined with other factors such as environmental toxins or viruses. There is currently no genetic test freely available for Parkinson's disease.

The role genetics may play in the development of Parkinson's disease is currently the subject of much research

To find out more, download our information sheet Genetic Testing from our Information sheets page