Huntington's Chorea
Genetic Transmission
References: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC534940/
Symptoms/Diagnosis/Frequency
Symptoms of Huntington's disease include uncontrolled movement of the arms, legs, head, face and upper body, a decline in thinking and reasoning skills (memory, concentration, judgment and ability to plan and organize), alterations in mood, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Because of a discovery of the defective gene that causes Huntington's disease in 1993, a diagnostic genetic test was developed. The test can confirm that the defective gene for the disorder is the cause of symptoms in people with suspected Huntington's disease and can detect the defective gene in people who don't yet have symptoms.
Huntington's disease is more of a rare disease because it affects an estimated 3 to 7 per 100,000 people of European ancestry. It's even more rare in countries such as Japan, China, etc.
References: http://www.alz.org/dementia/huntingtons-disease-symptoms.asp
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/huntington-disease
Life Expectancy & Treatments
Research has not yet found a means of curing or even slowing the deadly progression of Huntington's Disease, however, some medications can relieve some of the symptoms in certain individuals.
References: http://www.hdsa.org/about/our-mission/what-is-hd.html
Interesting Facts
-In the United States, An estimated 30,000 people have Huntington’s Disease
-People with the defected gene can develop Huntington's Disease from two to 80+ years of age
-Huntington's Disease affects all ethnic groups but occurs less in Chinese and Japanese people
References: http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=574