Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Factors 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
  1. Monoclonal gammopathy. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/monoclonal-gammopathy. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
  2. Monoclonal gammopathy: Treatment. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/monoclonal-gammopathy/treatment.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
  3. 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.
  4. Kyle RA, et al. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. British Journal of Haemotology. 2006;134(6):573-589.
  5. 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.
  6. Rajkumar SV, et al. Recognition of monoclonal proteins. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

DS00870

Dec. 6, 2008

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger