It is also important to have regula

It is also important to have regular health checks to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels.
This will allow your doctor to identify any abnormal results and suggest a treatment plan to bring your results into a healthy range.</p> <p><img alt="Eating a wide variety of healthy foods can help to prevent development of metabolic syndrome." src="https://d38okfhwhefcep.cloudfront.net/mediaLibrary/images/large/cif002_healthy_food_img_au.large.jpg" /></p> <h3 style="color:#2d2d2d;font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;">Eating a wide variety of healthy foods can help to prevent metabolic syndrome.</h3>
Metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of conditions that together increases the risk of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
These conditions include an increased waistline, hypertension (high blood pressure), increased blood sugar levels, high amounts of triglycerides and low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as 'go
<h2>What is progeria?</h2> <p>Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), is an extremely rare genetic condition that causes children to prematurely age.
It affects around one in four million newborns worldwide¹.
At birth, children generally appear healthy but by one year of age, changes to growth and development begin to occur.
Children typically weigh less and are shorter than others their age.
A distinctive appearance develops, including aged-looking skin, baldness and a small face.
As children age, progressive atherosclerosis and heart disease develops, which becomes fatal at an average age of 13-14 years¹.

There is currently no treatment or cure for progeria.</p> <h2>Causes</h2> <p>Progeria is caused by a mutation of the gene LMNA (pronounced Lamin A).
In progeria, the LMNA gene is altered at a very specific point, which not only makes the condition very rare, but causes a range of symptoms associated with premature ageing.</p> <p>The mutation occurs at random, which means that parents and siblings are virtually never affected by the condition.</p> <h2>Signs and symptoms</h2> <p>Signs and symptoms of progeria usually appear from around the age of one year.
These can include:</p> <ul><li>Weighing less and being shorter than others their age;</li> <li>Aged-looking skin;</li> <li>Hair loss and baldness;</li> <li>Visible veins;</li> <li>Small face with a pinched nose relative to head size, and;</li> <li>Delayed tooth formation.</li> </ul><p><img alt="" src="https://d38okfhwhefcep.cloudfront.net/mediaLibrary/images/large/en005_progeria_img1_au_v2.large.jpg" /></p> <h3 style="color:#2d2d2d;font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;">A child with progeria.</h3> <p>As children grow older, accelerated ageing occurs, which involves symptoms that would more often occur in older people.
These can include:</p> <ul><li>Joint stiffness;</li> <li>Hip dislocations;</li> <li>Atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing and hardening of arteries, and;</li> <li>Heart disease.</li> </ul><h2>Methods for diagnosis</h2> <p>It is possible to diagnose progeria using a genetic test.
This involves taking a blood sample to see if there is a mutation in the LMNA gene.</p> <h2>Types of treatment</h2> <p>Currently there is no cure for progeria; however, research is ongoing.
There are medications available to manage some symptoms and improve quality of life.
These include cholesterol-lowering medications to slow atherosclerosis and <a rel="nofollow" href="/report/general-report/228">osteoporosis</a> medication to increase bone density.
Low-dose aspirin can also be given to reduce the risk of complications associated with progeria, including <a rel="nofollow" href="/report/general-report/186">heart attack</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="/report/general-report/422">stroke</a>.</p> <p>Recently, a clinical trial looking at the effectiveness of a drug called lonafarnib in children with progeria was conducted².
The medication was originally developed to treat cancer.
The research found that all participants in the trial benefitted from the drug in one or more of the following ways - weight gain, better hearing, improved bone structure and increased flexibility of blood vessels.