Reading time: 2 minutes – Spotted on Nature
Laron syndrome is a genetic mutation causing a rare form of dwarfism: only 400 to 500 people are affected worldwide. Despite its rarity, attention to it among endocrinologists has increased over the past decade.
Indeed, research shows that this population would be less exposed to the risks of developing cancer and diabetes, or even cognitive decline. She would also have a higher life expectancy, although the causes are still uncertain. A study carried out on 24 people suffering from Laron syndrome and 27 of their parents, relayed by Nature, sheds some light on the subject.
Thus, people with Laron syndrome have on average lower blood pressure, reduced accumulation of fats in the arteries and thinner carotids (the arteries of the neck and head) than their unaffected relatives. They would therefore be less at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Thinking of new preventive treatments
Laron syndrome is characterized by a deficiency of growth hormone receptors. If affected people have normal levels, their body, however, secretes less somatomedin C, the protein produced thanks to the stimulation of the organs by these hormones and responsible for the proper development of bones and muscle mass.
Low levels of somatomedin C are usually linked to a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, suggesting a naturally increased risk in people with Laron syndrome. This study joins a growing number of analyzes today tending to prove the opposite, including for different forms of dwarfism.
This discovery could also serve as a starting point for the development of preventive drugs against cardiovascular diseases, intended for the general population. But for the moment, endocrinologists are defending the carrying out of studies on larger cohorts in order to better identify the genes influencing heart health.
