Rare Disease Day spotlights rare conditions and need for treatments

Rare Disease Day spotlights rare conditions and need for treatments - HealthPop - CBS News:

"In the U.S., a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. There are about 6,800 such diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health. As many as one in 10 Americans suffers a rare disease, often struggling not just from the medical condition itself, but also to get proper diagnosis, information and care.

Examples of rare diseases include such conditions as Progeria, a syndrome characterized by premature old age; Proteus syndrome, which involves atypical growth of skin and bones; and Williams Syndrome, a disorder marked by extreme friendliness and no social anxiety.

Rare Disease Day was launched in Europe in 2008 to draw awareness to the public health issue of rare diseases. The day has since been sponsored by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in the U.S., an organization that was established in 1983 along with the Orphan Drug Act, a law designed to promote the development of drugs for rare disorders."

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