Huntington’s Disease twice as common as was previously thought

A devastating brain condition is at least twice as common as was previously thought, medical experts say.

Huntington’s Disease (HD), which is genetically inherited, currently affects at least 6,700 people in England and Wales.

Researchers writing in the Lancet say stigma means families disguise the condition, or deaths are misrecorded.

Anyone who carries the mutant gene will go on to develop HD, and their child has a 50% chance of inheriting it.

The experts said it was “shameful” that patients who know they carry the gene have to declare this to insurance companies.

The hereditary disorder, which affects muscle co-ordination and causes dementia, leaves sufferers needing full-time nursing care.

Writing in medical journal The Lancet, Sir Michael argued that the stigma associated with the disease had led to a serious under-estimation of its prevalence.

Huntington’s disease affects the part of the brain that controls thinking, emotion, and movement. Most people who have the disease start to see symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50 (but symptoms can appear earlier or later in life). The disease gets worse over time.

Some of the symptoms include: poor memory, depression and/or mood swings, lack of coordination, twitching or other uncontrolled movements, and difficulty walking, speaking, and/or swallowing. In the late stages of the disease, a person will need help doing even simple tasks, such as getting dressed.

It usually first shows itself in middle age and in time leaves its sufferers needing full-time nursing care before they die.

Every child of someone with HD has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the disease.

The Huntington’s Disease Association welcomed the recognition of the condition’s prevalence.