Four common chronic pain conditions share a genetic element, suggesting they could – at least in part – be inherited diseases, reports [s]BBC News[/s]. The four include irritable bowel syndrome, musculoskeletal pain, pelvic pain and dry eye disease. The study, by a team at the [b]King’s College London[/b], of more than 8,000 sets of twins, found the ailments were common in identical pairs sharing the same DNA. The researchers believe that while environmental factors probably still play a role in the four conditions, genes could account for as much as two-thirds of someone's chances of developing the disease.
[link url=http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27482574]Full BBC News report[/link]
[link url=http://www.painjournalonline.com/article/S0304-3959(13)00515-0/abstract]Pain abstract[/link]