The terms “disease” and “disorder” are often used interchangeably. But a recent conversation among colleagues made me reflect on the use of these words and questioned if there actually is a difference.
NORD doesn’t seem to make the distinction, as seen from the definition of rare disorders listed on their website:
What is A Rare Disorder?
A rare or “orphan” disease affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. There are more than 6,000 rare disorders that, taken together, affect approximately 25 million Americans.