This study that the Texas Medical School has gotten me curious about Moyamoya and the possible correllation of certain ethnicities being more prone to the disease (and might also provide more information for the researchers).

I've been told that certain races are more prone to having moyamoya than others, although it is not necessarily restricted to Asians. Is this correct? I am Chinese, although I was born in New Zealand and have lived here all my life (and so have six generations of family, so about 140 years).

From a research point of view this might be important? What about the 508 others on this forum who have been diagnosed with Moyamoya?

50% japanese here and 25% filipino

I'm also curious about the correlation with ethnicities and Moyamoya. I'm Korean, and as far as I can tell, nobody from my family has had any similar problems. My family has only recently come to the United States. I am the first generation born in the states.

100% japanese

I'm half Japanese.  My local neuro, who was so proud to have identified such a rare disease, mainly id'd it because of my ethnicity.  He was puzzled at the MRA results and didn't know why my left coratid artery was blocked.  Once he actually saw me face to face, the first thing he wanted to know was what my heritage/ethnicity was.  When I told him I was half Japanese, a light bulb seemed to go on over his head!  In fact when he called the radiologist right then and there, his question was "what if I throw into the mix that the patient is half japanese?"  The radiologist came back with "you must be thinking about Moyamoya" confirming his diagnosis.  The Neuro even went so far as to tell me that he actually practiced in Japan early in is career, and that I was luckly because he didn't think anyone else in the local area would have caught it so fast.  

Even my primary care doctor came back with "this is so rare unless you practice in Japan, you probably won't see it."  Of course she probably got this from the cocky neuro.  Who BTW since I do not have any major symtoms, no TIA or hemorraging, this neuro said there was nothing to do, simply wait and see.  

Also Florida does not have a large Asian population, so I don't know if this is just generalization by the medical field here or what.  My [smiley=twocents.gif] for what its really worth....  

Carol

Greek and Russian here...

I am half Irish and half German, blond hair-green eyes!! ;;D  As far as I know there is not any Asian heritage in my blood line [smiley=huh.gif]

No Asian here. I am 1/4 Dutch, 1/4 Irish/scottish, 1/4 English, and 1/4 (German, Checkslovakien(sp?), Welsh, Sweedish, and French Canadian Indian). My Aunt, mom's side, has all of my family cronology done back as far as they keep records. And my Dad's side is short that is where I get the Dutch Irish/Scottish, and English. I have lived in Minnesota, USA for all my life.
Good luck on your resurch. This subject had come up often so there might be another ethnicity question in the back log.
Becky

100% mutt. LOL  , little German, little Prussian, Scotch- Irish, English,  Little French
Hubby’s heritage is mostly German from what we can tell.

100% Portuguese here
Parents were born here, but grandparents were all born in Portugal
My grandmother on my mothers side died around 1940 of a brain hemorrhage, but no research was done back then, so there might be a connection....

Tia

The only ethnicities I know I have are some Mexican (my grandmother is 100%) and some where far before me their is scotish-irish but not sure how far back that goes. Definatly no Asian in my background.

Okay my son is African AMERICAN. ;;D

My mom is 100% Vietnamese, my Dad 50% Italian and 50% Sweden.

My daughter is English, Irish, German, French, Dutch, Italian and a teensy bit Native American :)  she has red hair, green eyes.

Cynthia  I was 47 when I had my first (of Many Strokes) they just kept letting me have so many Strokes (most was just TIAs but I was paralized on my left side for about 2 months)  I would stress to you to seek Dr. Steinbergs advise....I am disabiled now due to too many strokes.......GOD-BLESS    Elaine Calvert

100% good old american caucasion mutt

100% Vietnamese. The first one in my family that recognized with Moyamoya.


Ha

I am the first one diagnosed with MM. I did have a relitive die from a stroke but they were realy old so no reason to look for why she had a stroke.
As a reminder I am 100%-American caucasion with very pale skin and red hair with blue eyes.
Becky

My daughter - 18 - is a mixture of English, German, French, Irish and Dutch. I have been told that Moyamoya is very common in Asia which is where the word Moyamoya orginated, but the disease is extrememly rare in the United States particularily in caucasions. I'm curious to know if that's because caucasions are more resisitant or less likely to inherit the disease or is it that many American doctors have never heard of Moyamoya and therefore countless American children and adults are misdiagnosed? As was the case with my daughter.

-Kim

Sounds like we are all americans......but Like pmet Robert is of a mutt line .....Irish German French etc.

My son with MoyaMoya is a full-blooded american mutt as well.  He has blonde hair and blue eyes.  He's 1/4 Italian, 1/4 English, 1/4 German, and the last 1/4 is a combination of Polish, Irish, and one or two other things.  No Asian heritage.  

I'm 100% Japanese. My daughter has some symptoms. She's mostly Japanese but has some English and Chinese as well.

Russ

my mother had an Irish heritage, my Dad an English (Wales) heritage. I am listed in the official registry, as a true decendant of the Mayflower on my Dad's side.

Fair & Blue eyed, ex-Bostonian now living in Ohio!

Diane : )

re-reading this post......among the non-asians replying...there seems to be a high percentage of green or blue eyed MM sufferers....yet in normal populations.....we are usually a minority (brown eyes being the dominant gene).......could that mean something?  I wonder???

Anyhow, the most important issue here is:....we are ALL one big MM family here.....with many wonderful backgrounds and eye colors!

smiles....Diane : )

My little Emily is a big mix. She is 25% German, 25% Sweedish, and English, Canadian, Irish, French, and not sure what else due to her grandfather on my side was adopted.

My mother who had it was 100% Korean and born and raised in South Korea.  I was born in the states and I will be tested soon.

We were told that moyamoya is more common in Asian ethnicities also.  And that moyamoya is Japanese for "puff of smoke."

My son is half English (from me) and half Hispanic (from my husband).  I wouldn't label him as "Mexican" because my husband's family is NEW Mexican -- all born and raised in the 47th state.  They have enough anglo recessive genes that my hazel-eyed, black-haired husband and I produced three out of four children with blonde hair and light colored eyes.  (I was tow-headed in my youth and have green eyes).  

Diana, even though I saw other posters mention eye color, I wouldn't have included Matthew's if you hadn't pointed out the large number of light-eyed caucasians.

Matthew has green eyes.  My mother once told me that people with green eyes actually have blue eyes, but their body chemistry changes the color to green.  

Kim -- mom to Matthew, age 15, diagnosed at age 7.