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Living with Danon disease

A genetic condition affecting the heart muscle, other muscles, and learning.

Understanding Danon disease

Danon disease is a genetic condition that causes weak heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), weak skeletal muscles (myopathy), and intellectual disability.

Signs begin about 15 years earlier in males than in females. Males usually have problems in childhood or adolescence, and females in early adulthood. Heart muscle disease is the most common symptom, occurring in all males and most females. It is often thickened (hypertrophic) or enlarged and weakened (dilated).

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:

  • Thickened heart muscle (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
  • Enlarged, weakened heart (dilated cardiomyopathy)
  • Intellectual disability
  • Weak, floppy muscles
  • Unusual walk (gait)
  • Sudden stop of heart and breathing (cardiorespiratory arrest)

Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Diagnosis

  1. Talk with your doctor

    Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.

  2. See a specialist

    Specialists who may be involved include brain and nervous system specialists, genetic specialists and heart and blood vessel specialists.

  3. Consider genetic testing

    Changes in LAMP2 are linked to this condition. Genetic testing and counseling can help confirm a diagnosis and explain what it means for your family.

  4. Connect with expert centers

    Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association and Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation may keep lists of experts for this condition.

Care & treatment

Care team
Brain and nervous system specialists (neurologists); Genetic specialists (geneticists); Heart and blood vessel specialists (cardiologists)
Expert care
Expert lists: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation
Treatment
GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
Research
Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.

General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.

Everyday life

Living with a rare condition is easier with support.

  • Connect with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association and other patient organizations
  • Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
  • Ask about patient registries that help research
  • Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
Can genetic testing of the LAMP2 gene confirm the diagnosis and help relatives?
How often should heart rhythm and heart function be checked?
Which specialists should be on our care team?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startChild
InheritanceX-Linked
GenesLAMP2

Changes in the LAMP2 gene cause this condition. It is X-linked, meaning the gene is on the X chromosome.

GeneticNeurologicalInherited MetabolicLysosomal Storage

Also known as: antopol disease; danon disease, x-linked dominant; glycogen storage disease due to lamp-2 deficiency; glycogen storage disease due to lysosomal associated membrane protein 2 deficiency; glycogen storage disease type iib; glycogenosis due to lamp-2 deficiency

Patient organizations

Source: NIH GARD · Danon diseaseGARD ID 9730 · GARD page updated September 2026 · Plain-language summary by Know Rare; editorial review pending. General information, not medical advice.

You are more than your diagnosis

Perspectives from people navigating life with Danon disease.

Explore the Danon disease blog

Explore research for Danon disease

Explore actively recruiting Danon disease studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Danon disease with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.

  • Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
  • Share your city to look for research near you
  • Eligibility is confirmed by the study team

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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.

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