Guide to Huntington’s Disease and Its Genetic History

Huntington’s Disease (HD), sometimes called Huntington’s Chorea, is a gene-related neurodegenerative disease of all races currently diagnosed in about 30,000 victims in the United States. The gene is dominant, rather than recessive, so 50 percent are at risk of inheriting the disease from an afflicted parent. Although it is usually first diagnosed in the young middle-age years, there is a juvenile form that starts quite young, representing approximately 5-10 percent of cases. The disease is characterized by physical, cognitive, and behavioral changes. No cure is known and no lifestyle change halts progression of Huntington’s. To learn about progress in understanding and treating HD plus issues surrounding genetic counseling, why not consider timely articles by your Bright Hub contributors?

Woody Guthrie - Famous Victim of Huntington's Disease

Wikimedia Commons (Library of Congress Photograph)