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By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that increase your risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance include:
- Your age. The risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance increases as you get older. About 3 percent of people age 50 and older and 5 percent of people age 70 and older have M protein in their blood. The highest incidence is among adults age 85 and older.
- Your race. Blacks are more likely to experience this condition than are whites.
- Your sex. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is more common in men than it is in women.
References
- Monoclonal gammopathy. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/monoclonal-gammopathy. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Monoclonal gammopathy: Treatment. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/monoclonal-gammopathy/treatment.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS). The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec14/ch175/ch175b.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Kyle RA, et al. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. British Journal of Haemotology. 2006;134(6):573-589.
- Gertz M. What is monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance? International Myeloma Foundation. http://myeloma.org/main.jsp?type=article&id=879. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Rajkumar SV, et al. Recognition of monoclonal proteins. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- New Mayo study shows higher prevalence of MGUS, a pre-cancerous blood disorder, than previously suspected. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3302.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Landgren O, et al. Risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and subsequent multiple myeloma among African American and white veterans in the United States. Blood. 2006;107(3):904-906.