Phenylketonuria as an Adherence Disease.

Summary: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare disease where the body cannot break down a part of food called phenylalanine. To stay healthy, people with PKU must follow a very strict diet. But there is a big problem: if they slip up and eat the wrong foods, the chemical builds up in their brain. This makes it hard for them to think clearly and make good choices. This "brain fog" makes it even harder to stick to the diet, creating a bad cycle. Because the disease itself makes following the rules so hard, doctors are calling PKU an "adherence disease." This means patients shouldn't feel guilty when they struggle. It also means the best way to help them in the future is gene therapy, which fixes the root cause instead of just relying on a tough diet.