There's no cure for progeria. Regular monitoring for cardiovascular disease may help with managing your child's condition. Some children undergo coronary artery bypass surgery or dilation of cardiac arteries (angioplasty) to slow the progression of cardiovascular disease.Growth hormone treatment has been attempted.
Certain therapies may ease some of the signs and symptoms. A daily dose of low dose aspirin may help prevent heart attacks and stroke. Physical and occupational therapy may allow your child to remain active and also may help with joint stiffness and hip problems, and High-calorie dietary supplements. Including extra calories in your child's daily diet may help prevent weight loss and ensure adequate nutrition. Infants who feed poorly may benefit from a feeding tube and a syringe. You can use the syringe to push pumped breast milk or formula through the tube to make it easier for your child to feed.
The child's permanent teeth may start coming in before his or her baby teeth fall out. Extraction may help prevent problems associated with the delayed loss of baby teeth, including overcrowding and developing a second row of teeth when permanent teeth come in. Drugs known as farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs), which were developed for treating cancer, have shown promise in laboratory studies in correcting the cell defects that cause progeria. FTIs are currently being studied in human clinical trials for treatment of progeria.
Treatments can only reduce complications like cardiovascular diseases, with a possible heart bypass operation or low-dose medicines. A high-calorie diet can probably prolong the life-span. There is a growth hormone treatment being tested to find out if it can cure progeria.
To date, no effective therapy is available for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). The use of low-dose aspirin is recommended as prophylaxis against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease.The use of growth hormone has been used to decrease catabolic demands and augment weight gain and linear growth in a small number of patients with progeria.16
A clinical trial investigating the use of pravastatin, a lipid-lowering agent, and zoledronic acid, an agent used to increase bone mineral density, in patients with progeria is currently recruiting patients.
Patients, families, and physicians may obtain further information, including opportunities for possible enrollment in clinical trials, through the Progeria Research Foundation.
Appropriate care for children with HGPS requires coordinated care from several specialists. Infants and children with HGPS may experience feeding difficulties and failure to thrive. The use of age-appropriate nutritional supplements is recommended.
