Inside body cells are tiny little parts calledmitochondria(as many as 1,000 per cell).
Mitochondria produce the energy our cells need to grow and function.
These injured or underperforming cells ultimately cause mitochondrial disease.
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There are hundreds of different types of mitochondrial diseases.
The jot down you have depends on which cells are affected.
Problems may begin at birth or occur later.
Most cases are diagnosed during childhood, although adult-onset cases are becoming more common.
Mitochondrial disease affects between 40,000 and 70,000 Americans, occurring in one in 2,500 to 4,000 births.
Mitochondrial disease is agenetic condition.
The disease can either be inherited from your parents or the result of a random mutation in your DNA.
Mitochondria can also be injured from drug use or damage triggered by free radicals (destructive molecules).
A large number of genetic mutations can cause the disease.
However, the same mutation in two different people might not produce the same symptoms.
In children, the disease can also cause poor growth and developmental delays.
Diagnosing mitochondrial disease is often difficult since symptoms vary and can mimic other conditions.
Multiple organ system involvement, three or more areas, is often indicative of mitochondrial disease.
Treatment
Most cases of mitochondrial disease can be diagnosed through muscle biopsy.
Other testing options includeblood tests,genetic testing, and enzyme testing.
Muscle biopsies and other tests can be very expensive, leaving cases to be diagnosed on clinical presentation alone.
There is no cure for mitochondrial disease.
Avoiding stress may also help reduce symptoms.
Researchers are currently looking into drugs that would block the lactic acid buildup associated with mitochondrial disease.
Others are trying very low carbohydrate diets to reduce the mitochondrias workload.
Damage to the mitochondria is thought to be associated with all of those conditions.
A lifetime of mitochondrial damage may be part of the aging process.
