Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA, is a genetic disease which can range from being fatal to newborns, with the harshest form, to affecting those in young adulthood. In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has designated 12- Centers of Excellence as institutions to treat serious diseases like this.
ETHealthWorld.com recently posted an article by Dr. Shrikant Jamdade, a Clinical Geneticist from Mumbai. He writes that: "The disease manifests as progressive muscle weakness leading to skeletal and chest deformities, often resulting in wheelchair dependence and premature death."
Dr. Jamdade reports that progress has been made in the treatment of SMA, and that the treatments can reduce the disability which comes from the disease, improving the quality-of-life.
