Infants, children, and adults may develop mitochondrial disorders. Experts in mitochondrial medicine describe a spectrum of disease, ranging from mild to severe. 1 in 4,000 people are estimated to have a genetically confirmed primary mitochondrial disease, yet many remain undiagnosed.
In adults, many diseases of aging have been found to have defects of mitochondrial function, including, but not limited to: diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, atherosclerotic heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autoimmune disorders, environmental toxicities, and cancer.
