Persons at risk for familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) represent the vast majority of those who undergo pre-symptomatic testing for late-onset neurological diseases (LONDs) in Portugal, according to a 20-year study. The study, “Twenty Years of a Pre-Symptomatic Testing Protocol for Late-Onset Neurological Diseases in Portugal,” appeared…
Therapy with Vyndaqel (tafamidis) nearly stops or slows the progression of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) in most patients with Val30Met mutations at the transthyretin (TTR) gene, a long-term follow-up of treated patients has found. Moreover, female patients, those with early-stage disease, and patients with…
It wasn’t until Gordana Loleska’s son David was 14 years old that doctors in their native North Macedonia diagnosed his kidney, vision, and hearing problems as Alport syndrome. Although she had known for years that something was wrong, the news that David would battle a lifelong rare disease devastated…
Changes in the immune system and in inflammation may occur before the formation and accumulation of amyloid deposits in people with familial amyloid polyneuropathy, with biomarkers of these alterations easily evident in the blood, new research finds. The study, “Inflammatory profiling of patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy,” were…
A violinist with vasculitis, two Texas politicians and a pharmaceutical company whose marijuana-derived therapy helps kids with Dravet syndrome were among winners of the 2019 Rare Impact Awards. Officials of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) presented the awards during a June 22 dinner attended by…
Europe’s umbrella organization for 800 rare disease associations has developed a sweeping initiative to help the continent’s 30 million rare disease patients and their caregivers learn about their conditions, find assistance and receive treatment. Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe hopes to improve the current piecemeal treatment and support program with a holistic,…
People with rare diseases know that the right government policies can make a big difference in the quality of their own lives, and those of their caregivers. But most lawmakers aren’t experts in even one well-known disease — let alone the world’s estimated 7,000 rare disorders. So how does the…
Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) patients carrying the Val30Met mutation are more frequently misdiagnosed and tend to have neurologic and cardiac complications more commonly if they have the late-onset form of the disease, according to a study of Brazilian patients. The research, “Late-onset hereditary ATTR…
Variants in two genes involved in the body’s immune response and inflammation were associated with age-of-onset of symptoms in Portuguese families with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), due to the common Val30Met mutation, a study shows. The study, “C1QA and C1QC modify age‐at‐onset in familial amyloid polyneuropathy patients,” was published…
RaDaR, the catchy new name for the U.S. government-run Rare Diseases Registry Program, aims to help patient advocacy groups with limited resources build their own disease registries. The site was developed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a division of the National Institutes of…