The disease gets worse over time. Early signs of HD can vary, but often include mild clumsiness or problems with balance or movement, cognitive or psychiatric symptoms (problems with thinking or emotion), and changes in behavior.
The disease goes on to progresses over several years and can be divided into five stages. Huntington's disease (HD) is a complex disorder that affects a person's ability to feel, think, and move. Symptoms tend to worsen over time and the disease often runs in families.
“Some people in this range do get Huntington's while some live into their 90s and never get a symptom,” says Shealy. “That's one of the limitations of genetic testing. We can't always give you a yes or no answer.”
In early stage HD, individuals are largely functional and may continue to work, drive, handle money, and live independently. Symptoms may include minor involuntary movements, subtle loss of coordination, difficulty thinking through complex problems, and perhaps some depression, irritability, or disinhibition.
This disease often affects a person's ability to plan, make decisions, and process complex topics. But patients usually retain past memories, and are able to recognize people, objects, letters, numbers, and colors. They are often able to continue carrying out jobs that they have previously been doing for many years.
Huntington's disease is a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. It's passed on (inherited) from a person's parents. It gets gradually worse over time and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years.
Huntington's strengthens the immune system during most fertile years allowing them to produce more offspring. Symptoms associated with Huntington's occur later in life, after peak reproductive age.
The time from the first symptoms to death is often about 10 to 30 years.
Early symptoms
The first symptoms of Huntington's disease often include: difficulty concentrating. memory lapses. depression – including low mood, a lack of interest in things, and feelings of hopelessness.
People can start to show the symptoms of Huntington's disease at almost any age. Most will develop problems between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition gradually gets worse for around 10-25 years, until the person dies.
Autosomal-dominant diseases that can mimic HD are HD-like 2, C9orf72 mutations, spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (HD-like 4), benign hereditary chorea, neuroferritinopathy (neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 3), dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy and HD-like 1.
The presence of psychotic symptoms in premanifest Huntington's disease can be particularly misleading because, together with progressive apathy and cognitive impairment (mistaken for negative symptoms), they may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Progress has been made in identifying possible ways of slowing down or halting the condition by "switching off" the faulty gene that causes it. Several treatments are now going through clinical trials. If they're found to be safe and effective, they might be available in several years' time.
Early signs and symptoms can include irritability, depression, small involuntary movements, poor coordination, and trouble learning new information or making decisions. Many people with Huntington disease develop involuntary jerking or twitching movements known as chorea.
Symptoms of Huntington's disease usually develop between ages 30 and 50, but they can appear as early as age 2 or as late as 80.
On neuroimaging atrophy of the corpus striatum involving the caudate and putamen is seen. This change generally proceeds from medial to lateral and dorsal to ventral. These changes are better appreciated on MRI than on CT.
Typically, HD progresses for 10 to 30 years. Most people with HD die from complications related to the disease. There is no cure for HD, and current medications can only relieve its symptoms, not slow or delay the progression. If Huntington's disease runs in your family, you may want to have genetic testing.
While the cause of the disease is known — a single mutated gene — there is no cure. “Our plan is to conduct human clinical trials that deliver stem cells to replace damaged brain cells, reducing levels of harmful proteins that build up in the brains of Huntington's disease patients.”
Weight loss can make symptoms worse and weaken the patient's immune system, making them more vulnerable to infections and other complications. Huntington's disease itself is not usually fatal, but it can lead to choking, pneumonia, or other infections that can lead to death.
Foods to avoid for Huntington's disease
These foods include: Raw fruits. Stringy vegetables. Tough, crusty breads.
Can exercise delay Huntington's disease? Physical activities can help lessen the physical symptoms of Huntington's disease. In fact, at the moment, a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training is considered your best option.
Although anyone can develop HD, it tends to run in people of European descent (having family members who came from Europe). But the main factor is whether you have a parent with HD. If you do, you have a 50% chance of also having the disease.
The range of disease duration was between 2 and 17 years, the oldest living to age 91.
Conclusion The most primary cause of death in HD is aspiration pneumonia.