A recent study at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland is showing results that link genetics to certain forms of mental illness.
Briefly mentioned was the fact that, although the genetic link to Huntington’s disease (HD) has been known for decades, there has not been a single treatment for the disease itself.
There are treatments however, for the chorea (involuntary movements) that plague sufferers. HD affects the person’s ability to think, talk, and move. Approximately 30,000 Americans have been diagnosed with it, and another 200,000 are at risk. Caused by an expanded gene, virtually every person who inherits that gene will go on to develop the fatal illness.
According to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA), patients report having HD is very much like having Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS simultaneously.
The onset of symptoms usually occurs when the patient is between 30 and 50 years old, and the disease progresses at different rates.
Research is ongoing. The HDSA has funded, and is funding, many studies with the hope of finding a cure.
If you or a loved one is affected by HD, you don’t have to go it alone. Contact HDSA toll-free at 800-345-HDSA or by email at [email protected].
