What is it like to grow up in a hurry?

"How old is the child?"

"Twenty years old."

"You look like you're only in your thirties, and your child is already twenty years old. You're so lucky."

He clearly answered his own age, but the other party mistakenly thought he was answering the age of his child. These three short sentences were extremely hurtful and insulting. It was simply a large-scale social death scene.

Why do some people have a “mature” face even though they are not very old?

In fact, he may be ill.

Where does aging come from?

If your body's functions are not consistent with your age, you may have a disease called Werner syndrome, which is a disease that causes premature aging and death caused by excessive accumulation of DNA damage.

We inherit two copies of the genes in our bodies - one from our father and one from our mother.

Werner syndrome is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that occurs only when the patient inherits a mutated gene called WRN from both parents.

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The disease is caused by mutations in the Werner syndrome RecQ helicase gene (WRN gene for short), which is responsible for the production of the WRN protein. The normal form of the WRN protein is an enzyme that maintains the structure and integrity of the human DNA.

When this protein is mutated, as in the case of Werner syndrome, it causes the body to age prematurely.

Image source: pixabay.com

If the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the body's cells are unfolded, we will get a DNA about 2 meters long. Due to the presence of a protein called "histone" in our body, the long DNA can be folded into a ball in the body.

Image source: pixabay.com

This magical "histone" can produce a chemical mark that does not change the underlying genes, but can awaken the activity of certain genes or force them to be silent.

As for where this chemical mark appears in the DNA and how it will affect the DNA, it seems to depend on our experiences in life and the surrounding environment. If someone has unhealthy physiological habits or is under excessive stress for a long time, this chemical mark will react in a specific way.

Werner syndrome chain reaction

Studies have shown that the damage caused by Werner syndrome to the body is usually irreversible. In addition to external phenomena such as a surge in wrinkles, continuous weight loss, more gray hair and severe hair loss, the body's function level will also be severely reduced, and symptoms such as cataracts and muscle pain will appear.

Diseases known to be caused by this syndrome include arteriosclerosis, heart failure, diabetes and cancer. People with severe muscle pain may not even be able to stand independently.

The WRN gene was not discovered until 1996. As of 2008, there were 1,487 cases of Werner syndrome recorded worldwide, of which 1,128 were in Japan.

Image source: pixabay.com

The reason why Japan has such a large patient base is, on the one hand, due to Japan's mountainous and island-rich terrain, which has historically created an isolation effect on the Japanese population. In ancient times, people living in relatively isolated areas were more inclined to reproduce with people who were genetically similar to themselves.

On the other hand, Japan's medical system is more vigilant about Werner syndrome than other countries' medical systems. This disease, which is not taken seriously, is affecting the lives of more and more people.

Progeria cannot be ignored

In addition to the possibility of Werner syndrome, some people age due to a condition called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

This disease often occurs in childhood. Children with the disease will have weakened muscle strength, a lowered immune system, degeneration of the hippocampus responsible for short-term memory, thinning of the skin and even loss of elasticity. This is caused by a mutation in the protein gene encoding LMNA.

One of the DNA bases, C, changes to T. This mutation leads to the expression of the wrong version of the protein Progerin, which causes the human body to develop and age faster, up to 8 times the normal rate.

Image source: Wikipedia

Children with progeria die from the same disease that affects millions of normally aging adults—hardening of the arteries—but the average age of death is 14.5 years.

Patients with progeria usually suffer from systemic lipodystrophy, hair loss, joint contractures, accelerated systemic atherosclerosis, decreased cardiovascular function and stroke.

It is estimated that there are about 400 children with progeria worldwide, but with the development of more targeted drugs, many children's lives have been extended.

Image source: pixabay.com

Disease is not part of aging, but its effects on the body are brutal.

I hope everyone can be more tolerant and understanding of those young people who look "old". Maybe they are experiencing unknown pain in places you can't see.

END

Audit Expert

Guo Xiaoyan, deputy chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the 252nd Hospital of the People's Liberation Army.

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Xiao Xitushuo