Researchers at the University of Iowa have uncovered promising new findings suggesting that beta-blockers, a class of commonly prescribed medications, could potentially slow the progression of Huntington’s disease and delay the onset of its debilitating symptoms.
Huntington’s disease is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately one in 10,000 to 20,000 people in the United States, according to the University of California San Francisco. The disease is characterized by progressive brain degeneration, resulting in motor impairment, cognitive decline, and involuntary movements. As the disease worsens, individuals often experience dementia, and the condition typically leads to death within 20 years of symptom onset.
Tamara Maiuri, associate director of research and patient engagement at the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, emphasized the profound impact the disease has on those affected, noting that it usually strikes individuals in their 30s and 40s. “It tends to hit people in the prime of their lives, when they’re providing for their families, and their symptoms often force them to lose their jobs or face significant financial challenges,” she said.
A Hereditary Condition
Peg Nopoulos, head of psychiatry at the University of Iowa, explained the genetic aspect of Huntington’s disease, noting that individuals with a parent who has the condition have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the defective gene. “If your mom or dad has Huntington’s disease, you have a 50 percent risk of inheriting that gene,” she said, adding that genetic testing, while available to those over 18, can carry significant psychological weight.
New Insights from Beta-Blockers
Using data from the world’s largest observational study for Huntington’s disease families, Enroll-HD, UI researchers explored the potential benefits of beta-blockers in managing the disease. Enroll-HD tracks over 21,000 patients with Huntington’s disease or at risk of developing it.
The study divided participants into two groups: those with the genetic mutation but no symptoms (preHD), and those already diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (mmHD). Researchers discovered that in the preHD group, individuals taking beta-blockers experienced a significantly lower risk of developing symptoms of the disease. Meanwhile, in the mmHD group, patients who used beta-blockers showed a notable slowing of the progression of motor and cognitive symptoms compared to those who did not take the medication.
Jordan Schultz, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa and the lead author of the study, shared insights into how the research team arrived at investigating beta-blockers. Schultz had previously observed that Huntington’s disease patients exhibited increased sympathetic tone, which is part of the nervous system’s “fight or flight” response. Further research revealed that these patients also experienced autonomic dysfunction—impairments in involuntary bodily functions like heart rate and blood pressure.
The team sought to understand whether autonomic dysfunction contributed to the degeneration of the brain or vice versa, ultimately turning to beta-blockers as a possible treatment. “We needed a medication that could block the actions of the sympathetic nervous system,” Schultz said. “Beta-blockers seemed like a natural candidate.”
Accessible Treatment with Promise
Nopoulos expressed enthusiasm about the findings, highlighting the accessibility of beta-blockers. “This isn’t a complex gene therapy,” she said. “It’s a medication that is already prescribed to millions of people. It’s exciting that we might have a treatment in hand that could delay the onset of this devastating disease.”
While the current findings remain associative and not yet conclusive, researchers are hopeful that further studies could solidify beta-blockers as a key treatment in managing Huntington’s disease, potentially slowing its progression at any stage of the disease.
“We hope this data will help us understand the mechanisms behind the disease,” Schultz said. “These findings could open the door for pharmaceutical companies and other researchers to develop compounds that may target the underlying causes more effectively.”
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