VANCOUVER, B.C. – Recently, it’s become clear that milder forms of glycogen storage disease (GSD) – a genetic aberration in sugar metabolism – can cause problems with attention, mood, and growth that are easy to mistake for something else. GSD type 9 is a particularly potent imposter that occurs in boys and men only.
Once recognized, the solution is easy – cornstarch doses about every 4 hours. At the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, a team lead by Dr. David A. Weinstein, a professor of pediatric endocrinology and the director of the glycogen storage disease program at the University of Florida, Gainesville, reported that a new, slow-release form of cornstarch called Glycosade lets patients skip their night dose so they can get a full 8 hours of sleep.
At the meeting, Dr. Weinstein told us how to recognize, diagnose, and treat glycogen storage disease, and a little bit about how effective intervention can change the lives of people who have it.