Causes And Risk Factors For Sarcoidosis

Ethnicity

Throughout the United States, African Americans and individuals of Scandinavian descent tend to be the most heavily affected. Europeans outside Scandinavia also have an increased chance of developing the illness. Not only does race play a part in the prevalence of the disease manifesting, but it can also affect the severity.

Almost everyone with sarcoidosis will have their lymph nodes and lungs affected. However, eye involvement is more common in African Americans and Japanese individuals than in Europeans, and skin lumps rarely form in any patient not of Northern European descent. Finally, individuals of Japanese descent have a higher rate of heart problems related to sarcoidosis. African Americans are the most affected group in the United States. The risk of developing sarcoidosis at some point over the course of an African American individual's life is up to two percent.

Continue reading to learn about how family history may affect sarcoidosis.