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Huntington's Disease Statistics
When it comes to Huntington's disease, statistics concerning the disorder can be helpful in better understanding the disease and its impact. Based on Huntington's disease statistics, it is estimated that the disorder affects about 30,000 people in the United States alone, and at least 150,000 others have a 50 percent risk of developing Huntington's disease at some point. Other statistics indicate that people with the most common form of Huntington's disease generally live 15 to 25 years after the onset of the disorder.
Huntington's disease (also known as Huntington disease or HD) is a progressive brain disorder that causes uncontrolled movements, cognitive difficulties, and emotional disturbances.
Huntington's disease affects an estimated 3 to 7 per 100,000 people of European ancestry. The disorder appears to be less common in some other populations, including African Americans and Japanese.
In the United States alone, about 30,000 people have Huntington's disease; estimates of its prevalence are about 1 in every 10,000 people.
At least 150,000 others have a 50 percent risk of developing Huntington's disease, and thousands more of their relatives live with the possibility that they, too, might develop Huntington's disease.
Huntington's disease is a condition that is passed from parent to child through a defect (mutation) of the Huntington disease gene located on chromosome number 4. Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant condition, which means that only one parent must have this gene in order for a child to inherit Huntington's disease.
Each parent has two copies of every chromosome but gives only one copy to each child. Therefore, each child of a Huntington disease parent has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the Huntington disease gene
A small number of cases (1 to 3 percent) of Huntington's disease are sporadic, meaning they occur even though there is no family history of Huntington's disease.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD