What is Huntington's Disease?

Huntington's Disease is an inherited disorder resulting in the slow and irreversible loss of both mental and physical capacity. The usual age of onset is between 30 and 50, usually after a person has established a career, married and begun a family. Initial symptoms can be hard to detect and identify, including depression, mood swings, forgetfulness, and lack of coordination.

The disease is relentlessly progressive, often taking between 10 and 25 years to fully manifest. Most late stages HD patients are totally dependent - they cannot walk, speak or swallow. HD sufferers usually die from pneumonia, heart failure or other complications. There is also a juvenile form that affects children as young as two years of age, which is more severe and progresses much faster.

There are 30,000 persons in the United States currently diagnosed with HD and each of their siblings and children has a 50 percent chance of developing it. Anyone can carry the gene and develop HD, regardless of age, race ethnicity, gender, geographic location or socio-economic status. HD is a "family disease," not just because it is inherited from a parent, but also because it profoundly affects the entire family unit emotionally, socially and financially. Because of this, there are over 790,000 persons in the U.S. impacted by the disease. HD, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's Disease takes a person away from their loved ones and the rest of the world long before it kills them - and death is the only true relief from the disease.

The Huntington's Disease Society of America/South Florida Chapter is a non-profit organization committed to finding a cure for Huntington's Disease while providing education and services to those affected by the disease and their families.

Where Does Your Money Go?

The South Florida Chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America was established in 1990. The chapter is built on volunteers and is dedicated to improving the care of those suffering from Huntington's Disease and to its eradication through research. 100% of all proceeds from the Huntington's Disease Triathlon will go directly to research. For more information about Huntington's Disease contact our help line at (305) 274-7411.