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Clinically proven
to reduce oxidative stress.
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Oxidative Stress and Friedreich’s Ataxia
Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is a slowly progressive disorder of the nervous system and muscles. The disorder, named for the physician who first identified it in the early 1860's results in inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements (ataxia). This condition is caused by degeneration of nerve tissue in the spinal cord and of nerves that extend to peripheral areas such as the arms and legs. Unlike some neurological diseases, FA does not affect mental capacity. FA is an autosomal recessive congenital ataxia and is caused by a mutation in Gene X25 that codes for frataxin, located on chromosome 9. This protein is essential in neuronal and muscle cells for proper functioning mitochondria and the mutation causes inadequate production of frataxin. This results in, among other things, a degeneration of nerve tissue in the spinal cord.
There appears to be an important role of oxidative stress in the progression of FA. There is some evidence for the essential function of frataxin in protecting the mitochondrial enzyme aconitase from oxidative stress-dependent inactivation (which occurs normally during the aging process) and is enhanced due to the lack of frataxin. The precise sequence of events in FA pathogenesis is uncertain. The impaired intramitochondrial metabolism with increased free iron levels and a defective mitochondrial respiratory chain, associated with increased free radical generation and oxidative damage, may be considered possible mechanisms that compromise cell viability. However, the role of oxidative stress in FA is controversial in the literature.
About Friedreich’s Ataxia
- FA affects between 3000 – 5000 people in the U.S.
- FA is an autosomal recessive disease, which means that two defective gene copies must be inherited to develop symptoms, one from each parent. A person with only one defective gene copy will not show signs of FA, but may pass along the gene to offspring. Couples with one affected child have a 25% change in each pregnancy of conceiving another affected child.
Risk Factors
The disease is inherited, most often caused by a neurodegenerative disease process with a genetic cause.
About Protandim®
Protandim is a powerful, patented daily supplement that dramatically boosts your body's own natural defenses against free radical damage, a leading cause of oxidative stress.
At this time, there is no evidence that Protandim can treat, cure, or prevent Friedreich's Ataxia, but we do know its positive impact on oxidative stress. Because of the known link between Friedreich's Ataxia and oxidative stress, you may want to begin by lowering your oxidative stress, which Protandim is proven to do.
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