2. Progeria

3. Progeria, scientifically known as Hutchinson- Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), is a rare, fatal, genetically determined disease of childhood characterized by dramatic, premature aging that occurs at about seven to ten times the normal rate of aging.

4. All children with Progeria die of the same heart disease that affects millions of normal aging adults (arteriosclerosis), but instead of occurring at 60 or 70 years of age, these children may suffer strokes and heart attacks at ages as early as 5 or 6.

5. Because of this accelerated aging, a child of ten years will have similar respiratory, cardiovascular, and arthritic conditions that a 70-year-old would have. Progeria is the most radical of the ageing illnesses.

6. Although they are born looking healthy, children with Progeria begin to display many characteristics of accelerated aging at around 6 months of age. All children with Progeria are born as normal babies: they weigh around 3 kilos and are approximately 50 cm. long. In the first year, the following occurs: serious growth delay beginning hair loss changes of the breast and belly skin: leathery, dry and sometimes red in color, formation of fat edema (scleroderma) strong growth of the skull size decreased agility

7. The illness develops differently with every child. The intellectual development of children with Progeria develops normally. They have no intellectual deprivation. The average life expectancy of the children is approximately 13 years. Most children with Progeria don't live beyond their early teenage years, though one or two have lived to their early 20s.

8. The physical consequences of Progeria are not yet preventable. Progeria is incurable. Medical science tries only to treat its symptoms.

9. http://www.progeriaeng.centerall.com/custom1.php http://www.progeriaresearch.org/quick_facts.ht ml http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/dis ease/progeria/overview.html Sources: