What is life expectancy?
With a good drug regimen, people with familial Mediterranean fever can have a normal life expectancy. However, in slightly more than half of those affected, the frequent relapses lead to a mass release of amyloid A, an acute phase protein. This can accumulate in the kidney and thus lead to renal insufficiency and failure. This is often the reason for a shortened life expectancy of those affected.
Course of disease
Familial Mediterranean fever is a periodically occurring disease. In childhood the fever attacks are often the only symptom. Later, the episodes are accompanied by inflammation of the peritoneum, pleura or joints. Between the attacks, the affected persons feel healthy and are free of complaints. In the late course of the disease, kidney hypofunction can occur, which turns the purely periodic disease into a permanent limitation of the affected person.
How contagious is the familiar Mediterranean fever?
Familial Mediterranean fever is a genetic disease. A transmission of the disease is therefore only possible from parents to children. There is no contagion to other people, as with flu or other infectious diseases. Neither through blood contact nor through other contacts is transmission possible. Whoever gets the familial Mediterranean fever has this information in his genes since his conception and can only pass this disease on to his own children.
Is a cure possible?
Familial Mediterranean fever is a chronic, inherited disease. A cure is not possible. Affected persons are only treated symptomatically and the disease can be narrowed down. Treatment of genetic diseases with the help of the gene scissors is still the subject of current research.
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