Essay On Progeria

Progeria is an exceptionally rare genetic disease that causes premature aging, its estimated to affect one in four million newborns worldwide. The name originated from Greek, which means “prematurely old”. This genetic disease is fatal and it comes in many forms. Children diagnosed with Progeria usually appear normal, and throughout the first two years of life the disease will start to progress. Children with Progeria are expected to live about 13 years, although there are known cases in which the child gets to live up to about 20 years. Progeria is caused by a mutation in the gene called LMNA. This gene produces lamin A protein, which is what holds the nucleus of the cell together. The abnormal lamin A protein that is known to cause Progeria is called progerin. This makes the nucleus unstable and leads to the process of premature aging. Progeria is not genetic and cannot be passed down through families, although in rare cases more than one child in the same family can have the …show more content…
They can also develop hearing loss; they can also suffer from stiff joint and hip dislocation. Although this disease is very deadly it does not affect the child’s intelligence or their brain …show more content…
Doctor’s can do a physical exam, test hearing and the vision, measure the pulse and blood pressure, and compare the weight and height of the child with other kids that same age. Because this disease is really rare not test can be done to diagnose a patient with it. Diagnosis is based on the typical symptoms, which include failure to thrive, and hair loss by the age of two. Also in case the doctor is not really sure, a HDL blood test can be done, this can reveal a low level of high-density