Gilbert's Syndrome Causes & Risks

Causes

Gilbert's syndrome is usually caused by an inherited genetic abnormality. Symptoms occur when there is an interference with the liver enzyme that is important in the elimination of bilirubin. This causes the levels of bilirubin to increase in the blood, which may produce symptoms such as jaundice .

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. The risk factors for Gilbert’s syndrome are:

• Family members with Gilbert's syndrome (autosomal dominant trait)—People who have Gilbert’s syndrome have a 50% chance of passing it on to each of their children.
• Sex: male