Progeria The genetic disorder I chose is called Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome. It is more commonly known simply as Progeria. I chose to write my article on Progeria because it is a disease that many people are familiar with, as it has appeared in the news and been made into books and films. Yet, I had never heard of it until now. Hutchinson Gilford progeria syndrome is a rare genetic disorder. It was discovered in 1886 by Hastings Gilford and Jonathan Hutchinson. However, it didn't catch people's attention until 1981. That's when two children with Progeria were discovered at Disneyland. These two guys were from South Africa and Texas. They were discovered by the media, who then made a report on them. Progeria causes premature aging and a life expectancy of 12-14 years. No signs are shown at birth, but they are usually observed between one and two years of age. Some signs and symptoms are dwarfism, loss of body fat and hair, aged-looking skin, hip dislocation, heart disease, small jaw and face, and flat nose. Children with Progeria never reach sexual maturation and have thin, high-pitched voices. This disease does not affect their mental capacity, in fact their intelligence is normal or above normal. By the age of ten these children are just as tall as a three year old. However, they only grow to the height of a five-year-old and have delayed tooth formation. The only major symptom and problem seen in Progeria patients is heart disease. Heart disease, or atherosclerosis, is a serious problem that many of these children face. In fact, eighty percent of them die due to heart complications. Because of this serious heart problem, they may have an enlarged heart, high blood pressure, or even chest pain due to poor blood flow to... middle of the paper... you couldn't say that twenty years ago. Although there is only one organization dedicated exclusively to Progeria research, we are continually learning more about Progeria every day. As new information and treatments are discovered, the hope of finding a cure is even greater. Hopefully, in the next few years, we will be able to see even greater improvement in research and discoveries about Progeria. Bibliography "Information about Progeria." Progeria Research Foundation. Np, nd Web. 21 November 2013. Ha Baek, Jean, Tomás McKenna, and Maria Eriksson. "Chapter 3 Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome." Genetic disorders. Np: InTech, 2013. 65-87. Print.Wynbrandt, James and Mark D. Ludman. "Progeria." The Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects. New York, NY: Facts on File, 2000. 320-21. Press.