Werner Syndrome: Facts You Should Know About This Condition

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There are billions of people in the world suffering from innumerable diseases and disorders. Some suffer from small diseases that come and go from time to time and some other diseases turn out to be a defining character for how a person is identified.

One of these conditions is called Werner Syndrome. This syndrome is a hereditary condition, often referred to as progeria, and is generally linked with rapid ageing or premature ageing of the person suffering from it. It is also related to or increases the risk of numerous other diseases like cancer, diabetes and so on.

One must have heard of progeria or Werner Syndrome a lot before due to social contacts, movies and so on.

Here are certain facts about this condition that you may or may not know about:

1. Genetic Condition
2. Symptoms
3. Treatment
4. Is prevention a possibility?
5. What does it affect?
6. Other risks involved
7. It's a rare condition
8. Werner Syndrome is a kind of progeria

1. Genetic Condition

Werner Syndrome is a hereditary or genetic condition. The risk of Werner Syndrome can be passed on from generation to generation in a family bloodline. It could also occur due to a genetic mutation in the WRN gene which is responsible for Werner Syndrome.

For this condition to occur, a person needs to inherit this syndrome from both their mother's and father's genes for them to be affected; if it is present in one copy of the gene then Werner Syndrome will not be transferred to the child.

2. Symptoms

Werner Syndrome manifests itself in a person only after ten years of age. Certain recognizable symptoms that are closely related to Werner Syndrome are stunted growth, bilateral cataract, reduction in bone density also known as osteoporosis, and the ultimate give away, the most noticeable of them all is early ageing.

Therefore, wrinkles, saggy skin and other symptoms of early ageing on skin at an early age are all symptoms of Werner Syndrome.

3. Treatment

When you see the word treatment, one might be shocked. However, the ageing process cannot be reversed and therefore this condition or syndrome is incurable. The number of developments in science might have you believe otherwise but you can't reverse aged skin back to a young one.

One can go in for maintaining their health in other areas of life like treat their cataract and increase their bone density through tablets and so on.

4. Is Prevention A Possibility?

Most diseases can be prevented. If one wants to avoid diabetes avoid an excess of red meat and sugar. If one wants to avoid cancer, avoid smoking, etc. However, Werner Syndrome is solely based on one's genetics and therefore if it exists in both the copies of the genes then Werner Syndrome cannot be prevented.

5. What Does It Affect?

Werner Syndrome affects a large family of enzymes called helicases. These enzymes are responsible for unwinding the DNA or sometimes the RNA of a person, to help in the process of repair or replication of the DNA. Sometimes the helicases also help in the accuracy of chromosomal segregation.

6. Other Risks Involved

Patients with WS are also at risk for the following types of cancer like malignant melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, thyroid cancer and liver cancer.

7. It's A Rare Condition

Werner Syndrome is said to be a very rare condition and is inherited through, as mentioned above, autosomal recessive trait. The probability of it occurring in the world is 1:1000000.

Although in other parts of the world, the situation rarely ever occurs, it is known that a lot of people in Japan, in particular, could be affected by it.

8. Werner Syndrome Is A Kind Of Progeria

Although Werner Syndrome is generally called progeria by a lot of people, Werner Syndrome is actually a sub-section of progeria or one kind of progeria. Progeria is the larger category Werner Syndrome lies under.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.