Genetics and Psoriasis- Are they Linked?

The linkage of psoriasis and genetics is a complicated one and is not fully understood. There is not just one gene that can lead to the condition, as scientists have found about 25 different gene variants that could potentially be linked to psoriasis. Along with this, some individuals, around 10 percent of the population, may inherit a gene that increases the risk of developing psoriasis but only about 2 to 3 percent of the population actually show symptoms. 

This can be due to many different reasons. One being, the individual may not have the correct genetic makeup for the disease to present itself or they may have not been exposed to environmental triggers. This means that both environmental triggers and genetics play a big role in the development of psoriasis. That being said, someone without any family history of psoriasis can still develop the condition, but it is more likely in those who have a family history of psoriasis. 

If one of your parents has psoriasis, you have about a 10 percent chance of contracting the disease and this risk more than doubles to a 50 percent chance of contracting psoriasis if both of your parents have it.

That is why it is so important to continue to take care of both your mental and physical health- while genes play a huge role in contracting this auto-immune disease, environmental triggers can play a big factor as well. It is important to eat right, exercise regularly and practice relaxation techniques whenever possible.