Risk factors

The following factors may increase your risk of primary biliary cholangitis:

• Sex. Most people with primary biliary cholangitis are women.
• Age. It's most likely to occur in people 30 to 60 years old.
• Genetics. You're more likely to get the condition if you have a family member who has or had it.
• Geography. It's most common in people of northern European descent, but primary biliary cholangitis affects all races.

Researchers think that genetic factors combined with certain environmental factors trigger primary biliary cholangitis. These environmental factors may include:

• Infections, such as a urinary tract infection
• Smoking
• Toxic chemicals