Genetic testing is a medical procedure that can determine whether you have changes in your genes or chromosomes that could cause disease. This type of testing is voluntary, and helps to identify diseases before symptoms appear. Such early identification can, for a number of diseases including FAP, be key…
When you’re diagnosed with a disorder as rare as familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), support groups can help you feel less isolated and better able to cope with your disease. What is FAP? Also called transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy, FAP is a progressive genetic disease caused by the abnormal…
If you’ve been diagnosed with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), you may be wondering about how the disease might affect the length of your life. There are a number of factors that affect lifespan for everyone. These include genetics, environment, and family history. It’s important to talk with your…
You have learned that you have familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a rare, inherited, progressive disorder caused by abnormal deposits of proteins around peripheral nerves and other tissues. Such news can be difficult to comprehend, but here are some suggestions for you to think about following a new diagnosis.
Because the first symptoms of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) usually appear after a person is well into adulthood, its diagnosis can be quite a shock. Then, there’s the progressive nature of this disorder and its physical toll, including cardiac complications, numbness, and postural hypotension. It can…
If  you or a family member are diagnosed with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), a rare progressive disease that affects nerves and other tissues, you should talk to your doctor about getting genetic counseling. What is genetic counseling? Genetic counselors are trained to talk to people with a genetic disease…
You may have a family history of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) and be wondering if you might also have the disease. To make an informed choice about getting tested, it is important to understand what causes FAP, how the disease is inherited, and what a genetic test entails. What…
Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) is known to affect a person’s quality of life, particularly through the damage it can do to the autonomic nervous system, which controls and regulates without conscious thought the body’s organs. Autonomic system problems can lead to cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels), digestive, and urinary system…
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