Huntington's disease (often abbreviated "HD") was first described in medical literature in 1872 by Dr. George Huntington, a physician from Long Island, New York. The disease affects men and women alike, occurring at a rate of about one in every 10,000 in most Western countries. People with HD need dedicated care and support from their loved one, which makes the number of lives touched by the disease even greater.

The age of onset of Huntington’s disease is normally between 30 and 50 years old, although there is also a form of HD that affects children and teenagers. People with HD may express a wide variety of symptoms, which physicians typically group into three categories: movement, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms.

Some of the movement symptoms of HD include muscle spasms, tics, rigidity, falling down, difficulty physically producing speech, and, in the later stages of the disease, difficulty swallowing (which can lead to significant weight loss). Uncontrollable movements such as writhing and twisting are also quite common symptoms of HD. Physicians sometimes refer to these uncontrollable movements as “chorea”.

HD causes deterioration of the nerve cells in the brain, prompting significant changes in one's ability to think, feel, and move. The cause of these symptoms remained a mystery for quite some time until doctors noticed that the disease "ran in families" and suspected its hereditary basis. The inheritance of HD (like other hereditary traits) is now known to depend upon a "chemical code" of information contained in a substance called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, which exists within living cells. Understanding a bit about this chemical code helps to give better insight into the causes of HD and into treatments that may one day lead to its cure.

Borrowed from: The Basics of Huntington Disease Part 1

For additional information on Huntington's Disease you can go here.

Help out Terry and Larry here.