Section 125225 Of Article 3. Huntington’s Disease Research And Workshop Grants From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 106. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.
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. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that:
(a) Huntington's disease is a chronic progressive inherited
disorder of the central nervous system.
(b) The constellation of mental and physical symptoms, the
insidious onset of the disorder, and the torment of those at-risk,
waiting throughout their lives to learn if they have been spared,
conspire to make "Huntington's disease one of the most diabolical
diseases known to man." Each child of a patient with Huntington's
disease has a 50/50 chance of getting the disease.
(c) Males, females, and all ethnic groups may be affected and
there is no effective treatment or cure. Because so little is known
about the disease, many people are misdiagnosed and mistreated.
(d) The suicide rate among Huntington's disease patients is
estimated to be seven times the national rate.
(e) The advancement of scientific knowledge about Huntington's
disease, that, because of its extraordinary range of symptoms, serves
as an excellent prototype for other major chronic genetic,
neurologic, and psychiatric illnesses and diseases of aging, such as
epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson's disease, will reveal
fundamental scientific information that may lead to treatment,
prevention, and ultimately a cure for an array of inherited disorders
that affect millions.