The Italian Sammy Basso died on Saturday (5) at the age of 28, becoming the longest-living person with the disease Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome also known as progeria a disease that causes premature aging of the body .
Basso was responsible for founding, alongside his parents, the Sammy Basso Italian Progeria Association, which seeks to raise awareness and inform about the disease. He made several appearances in the media and also participated in studies looking for a cure for the syndrome.
“He taught us all that although life’s obstacles sometimes seem insurmountable, it is worth living to the fullest,” says the statement in which the family reported his death.
What is Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, known as progeria?
THE Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, better known as progeria is an extremely rare genetic disease that causes premature aging of the body .
The condition often makes the aging process about seven times faster than normal that is, a 10-year-old child with progeria may appear to be 70 years old. Because of this, people with the syndrome have a life expectancy of 14 years for females and 16 years for males, according to information from Fiocruz.
The disease affects one person in every 20 million worldwide. Italian Sammy Basso was the longest-lived case ever recorded.
People with progeria do not show signs of the disease at birth, but start to develop symptoms after turning one year old.
Among the main characteristics of premature aging are: hair loss; loss of subcutaneous fat; arthrosis; short and thin stature; thin, wrinkled skin; late puberty; changes in voice; osteoporosis; among others. The disease does not affect the mind.
Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is caused by a point mutation in one of the two copies of the LMNA gene and has no known cure.
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This content was originally published in What is progeria? Premature aging disease makes children look like elderly people on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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