Bunion? Blame it on your twin

A TWIN is four times as likely to have bunions if their sibling also has them, a new study has found, offering further proof that the toejoint condition is genetic and not due to the wrong choice of shoes.

The cause of bunions, a bone deformity at the base of the big toe, is unknown, but more women have them and one explanation offered for this is poor choice of footwear.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne looked at the risk of bunions in twins to investigate possible links with shared genes and environments. Findings show a four-fold increased risk of having a bunion if a twin had one.

However, researchers added that shared habits, such as wearing similar shoes, were likely to be a factor in twins developing bunions.