What are complex or multifactorial disorders?

Researchers are learning that nearly all conditions and diseases have a genetic component. Some disorders, such as sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis, are caused by mutations in a single gene. The causes of many other disorders, however, are much more complex. Common medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity do not have a single genetic cause—they are likely associated with the effects of multiple genes in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors. Conditions caused by many contributing factors are called complex or multifactorial disorders.

Although complex disorders often cluster in families, they do not have a clear-cut pattern of inheritance. This makes it difficult to determine a person’s risk of inheriting or passing on these disorders. Complex disorders are also difficult to study and treat because the specific factors that cause most of these disorders have not yet been identified. Researchers continue to look for major contributing genes for many common complex disorders.

A fact sheet about the inheritance of multifactorial disorders is available from the Centre for Genetics Education.

The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin provides basic information about multifactorial inheritance and examples of multifactorial disorders.

GeneEd from the National Library of Medicine and the National Human Genome Research Institute provides a list of educational resources about multifactorial inheritance and complex disease.

The National Human Genome Research Institute describes how researchers study complex disorders.

If you would like information about a specific complex disorder such as diabetes or obesity, MedlinePlus will lead you to fact sheets and other reliable medical information. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a detailed list of diseases and conditions that links to additional information.