Black patients tend to be diagnosed a year later than whites for Huntington’s disease The delay could keep them from getting treatment and preparing for the ravages of the disorder This delay also could keep Black patients from taking part in clinical trials FRIDAY, July 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients with Huntington’s disease receive their diagnoses an average of one year later than white people with the incurable genetic disorder, a new study shows. Early diagnosis is essential to help patients get proper care and prepare for the effects of the disease, lead researcher , a UCLA Health assistant professor of neurology, said in a news release. “The sooner people come into care, the more information they have and the more they can plan,” she said.
“Ultimately, we cannot yet change ...
the progression of the disease but we can definitely change the quality of life that people and their families experience while having the disease.” Huntington’s causes brain cells to slowly lose function and die, primarily in parts of the brain that regulate movement and memory. People with the disorder have movement symptoms similar to , such as uncontrolled jerking and twitching, trouble walking and swallowing, as well as slurred speech.
They also suffer mood swings and problems with reasoning, remembering and learning. About 41,000 Americans have the disease and 200,000 are at risk of inheriting it, researchers said in background notes. A child of a parent with Hunt.