Difference between hereditary and familial disorder | Akcea Therapeutics

1. Difference Between Hereditary And Familial Disorder The difference between the two can be somewhat understandable if we see things from the perspective of risk factors. In health sciences, social and preventive medicine, clinical psychology and psychiatry, as well as developmental psychopathology, risk factors are all precursors and predictors of organic or psychosomatic diseases that have been empirically verified on a population scale. A risk factor provides information about a potential threat to health, development or social and cultural integration or inclusion that manifests itself directly or indirectly and usually only with a time lag. Hereditary diseases are carried from one generation of a family to the next. In some cases, these diseases are likely to go unnoticed in some members of the family than in others. Familial diseases, on the other hand, are those that are common among several members of the family. In other words, hereditary risk factors are less significant than familial ones. Let me clarify this further through the example of a lesser-known disease called hATTR Amyloidosis. Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) is a rare, rapidly progressing disease that is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. hATTR amyloidosis is passed down through family members. Individuals of Portuguese descent are at a higher risk of inheriting this rare disease than most other people. It is a rare disease and very difficult to diagnose. In fact, misdiagnosis is common and it can often take patients several years from symptom onset to get the right diagnosis and start hattr treatment. Only about 50,000 people in the world have been successfully diagnosed with this disease. So, just because hereditary diseases have less likelihood of passing from one generation to another than familial diseases doesn’t mean they should not be taken

2. seriously. Many hereditary diseases, just like hATTR amyloidosis, are life-threatening and are also very difficult to catch.