Progeria, New Research Provides Hope

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome or simply Progeria is a rare disease that affects children of both sexes and all races. There is new research about this disease that can be beneficial to every human on earth. This article will discuss what Progeria is, what causes it, and the newly discovered research that can help humankind, those with this disease and without it as well.

Progeria is a rare disease that causes young children to age very rapidly. The children with this disease all look similar to one another. These children are bald; appear to have bigger than normal heads, loss of body fat, and have what is known as aged skin. They have the spirit of a child in a body that appears elderly. Some of these children are diagnosed within the first six months of their lives, but all show signs by the time they reach the age of two years. The lifespan of these children is thirteen, but some die as early as eight years or as old as twenty-one. All die from heart disease, similar to what elderly people endure at the end f their lives.

Currently there is no known cure, but research is ongoing. On September 7, 2010, the Progeria Research Foundation released a report that highlighted the research paper Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. The research found that progerin which is an irregular protein found in these children, is also in the circulatory system of every person as old age begins. As people grow older, the amount of this irregular protein increases in the arteries of the heart, which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Studies show that this condition occurs once in ever 4 to 8 million births and this fact led researchers to believe there are at least 150 more children. As of October of 2009, only 54 known cases were diagnosed worldwide. The Progeria foundation created a site to find the other 150 earlier this year and in only seven months, they have located eleven of them bringing the total to 65.

An estimated 130 children are not receiving the help they need. If you know of a child who exhibits the characteristics of this disease, please refer them to this article, so that they can contact the organization so that all children inflicted with this disease can get the help they deserve.

Resources:

Progeria Research Foundation

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

Find the Other150 website