There is one liver disease that is hereditary. This is Hemochromatosis - a disease in which deposits of iron collect in the liver and other organs. It is five times more common in men, because women, by menstruating are very unlikely to build up excess iron in the blood The primary form of this disease is the most common inherited disease in the U.S. When one family member has this disorder, siblings, parents and children are also at risk.
The only other inherited disease is where an important liver protein - alpha-1 anti- trypsin - is very low or lacking in the blood. People with alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency produce this protein but the disease prevents it from entering the bloodstream. It builds up in the liver instead.
