The trigger could be a viral illness, stress or a high-protein diet, she added. (For most healthy people, a high-protein diet , when followed for a short time, generally isn't harmful, according to the Mayo Clinic.) Le Mons said, "typically, there are nuanced symptoms that just go unrecognized" with mild cases of urea cycle disorder. "There's a myth that this disorder only affects children," Le Mons said, noting that one patient reached age 85 before diagnosis. Other athletes, who like Hefford were unaware of their condition, have died when a high-protein diet triggered their condition.

Source: CNN August 15, 2017 17:13 UTC