What is the recurrence risk for glaucoma with one affected sibling?

Prepare for the American Board of Genetic Counseling Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations to enhance your knowledge. Get exam ready!

In assessing the recurrence risk for glaucoma in families where one sibling is affected, it’s important to understand the genetic and environmental factors influencing the disease. Glaucoma is primarily a multifactorial disorder, meaning that it does not follow simple Mendelian inheritance patterns, but rather involves a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental influences.

Having one affected sibling suggests that there is a genetic component involved, leading to an increased risk in siblings compared to the general population. The estimated recurrence risk for siblings in cases of glaucoma, particularly when considering one affected sibling, is often cited to be around 10%. This figure is derived from studies examining family histories of glaucoma patients, demonstrating that having an affected sibling indeed increases the risk for other siblings through shared genetic risk factors.

The other options suggest different percentages that represent either a lower or higher risk than is typically supported by genetic counseling literature. The understanding of such risks is crucial for families affected by glaucoma to make informed decisions about monitoring and potential genetic evaluation.

In summary, the 10% recurrence risk for a sibling of an affected individual aligns with epidemiological data regarding the familial nature of this condition, reflecting the shared genetic background within families and the multifactorial nature of the disease's inheritance.

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