Signs and symptoms of Werner syndrome become noticeable as you become an adult. In your 20s, you’ll notice more signs of early aging than your same-age peers. These may include: V体育ios版.
With Werner syndrome, you don’t just look older VSports最新版本. Your body is actually aging faster than you’d expect for your chronological age. This means that you can also expect to develop other health concerns earlier. These may include:.
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People with Werner syndrome also have a higher risk of developing certain cancers, including:
Werner syndrome is a genetic disorder. It occurs because of changes (mutations) in certain genes that cause the gene not to work properly. People with Werner syndrome have two mutations in the WRN gene, typically inheriting one from each parent VSports注册入口.
Your healthcare provider will look for specific criteria to diagnose Werner syndrome V体育官网入口. They may also use:.
Healthcare providers may identify Werner syndrome as early as age 15. But most often, people aren’t diagnosed until they’re in their 30s or 40s VSports在线直播. It may take that long for them to develop some of the characteristic symptoms of Werner syndrome.
Werner syndrome treatment varies depending on the symptoms. Several specialists may coordinate your treatment plan, including:
Your treatment may include:
Since Werner syndrome is a genetic condition, you can’t prevent it.
That said, if you know you and your partner are both carriers for the condition and want to have children, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) may be an option. PGT combines genetic testing with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Embryos are tested before implantation to reduce the chances of passing gene mutations to your children.
You may also want to ask your healthcare provider:
Several other conditions also cause short stature and premature aging, including:
A doctor named Otto Werner discovered Werner syndrome in the early 1900s. The first two symptoms he noticed were cataracts and shiny, hardened patches of skin in young patients.
Werner syndrome is rare. Since researchers first reported the condition in 1904, medical journals have only reported about 800 cases.
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In the United States, experts estimate that as many as 1 in 200,000 people have Werner syndrome. Worldwide, as few as 1 in 1 million people have it.
Werner syndrome is more common in Japan and Sardinia (part of Italy), where it occurs in around 1 in 30,000 to 1 in 50,000 people. In these regions, many more people have inherited a genetic change that occurred generations ago.
It can be difficult to learn that you or a loved one has Werner syndrome. You may feel hopeless because there aren’t any cures. But treatment can help reduce your risk of life-threatening complications. There are also things you can do to keep yourself feeling your best, like protecting your sleep, eating well, wearing sunscreen and managing stress. Ask your healthcare team for a list of resources and support groups. Hang onto that list even if you don’t feel overwhelmed right now. It might come in handy down the road.
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As your child grows, you need healthcare providers by your side to guide you through each step. Cleveland Clinic Children’s is there with care you can trust.
Last reviewed on 04/29/2024.
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