5 year old girl with Progeria

Map of all the known cases as of 2010

Where the Progeria Research Foundation is located

As far as Global Health goes, I am extremely interested in the origins and pathways of diseases. So, of course, I am always reading about new diseases and conditions. The other day while I was surfing the internet I came across a disease called Progeria, which in greek means "prematurely old". The term is very literal and the accelerated aging occurs when a child is 18-24 months. Symptoms of Progeria include loss of body fat and hair, atherosclerosis, aged skin, and stiff joints. Most children suffering from this disease die of heart failure around 13 years old. Most doctors believe that the disease is caused by a mutation in the gene that holds cells together causing extreme instability, which leads to accelerated aging. It is an extremely rare disease affecting only 1 in 4-8 million; however, since 1999, it has been discovered in over 40 countries.