Many people with Down syndrome are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in their 50s, but it is not uncommon for symptoms to occur in their late 40s. The presence of Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome can lead to a rapid, progressive decline in brain health.
Estimates suggest that 50% or more of people with Down syndrome will develop dementia due to Alzheimer's disease as they age. This type of Alzheimer's in people with Down syndrome is not passed down genetically from a parent to a child.
People with Down's syndrome have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, usually at a relatively young age. Most people with Down's syndrome will have the Alzheimer's hallmark clumps of amyloid and tau proteins in their brain by the age of 40, and two thirds will have Alzheimer's by the age of 60.
Those with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities. As adults, their mental abilities are typically similar to those of an 8- or 9-year-old.
As adults with Down syndrome grow older, there is increased risk of experiencing certain common mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and behavioral disturbances. A sudden or abrupt change in mood or behavior patterns warrants further investigation.
Alzheimer's disease in people with Down's syndrome can be thought about in three stages; early stage, middle stage and late stage. The person's cognitive and functional ability will deteriorate across these three stages and their level of dependence will increase.
Kenny Cridge, the world's oldest living man with Down's Syndrome, celebrated his 76th birthday recently with family, friends and cake. In 2008, the Guinness World Records who presented him with a certificate. In the 1940s the average life expectancy for people with Down's Syndrome was just 12 years old.
Common conditions encountered in adults with DS include: AD, epilepsy, mood and behavioral disorders, visual and hearing impairment, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and autoimmune diseases, such as thyroiditis and celiac disease.
As adults with Down syndrome grow older, there is increased risk of experiencing certain common mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and behavioral disturbances. A sudden or abrupt change in mood or behavior patterns warrants further investigation.
Down syndrome is often associated with people who are particularly happy, sociable, and outgoing. This may be true in general, but it's important to avoid stereotypes, even with such positive characteristics and impressions.
People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children. Some common physical features of Down syndrome include: A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose.
Most adults with Down syndrome are aware they have Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome live ordinary lives filled with extraordinary needs. You cannot have mild or severe Down syndrome. Either you have it or you do not.
It has been speculated that there is a personality/behavioural phenotype among people with Down's syndrome, although research has been inconclusive. There is little evidence to support severe psychotic disturbance and aggressive behaviours being common in the Down's syndrome population.
People with Down syndrome can expect to live to 60
In the 1940s, a child with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of 12 years. These days, their life expectancy is 60 years and a baby born with Down syndrome could live into their 80s — in line with the general population.
It is well known that the extra chromosome 21 originates from the mother in more than 90% of cases, the incidence increases with maternal age and there is a high recurrence in young women.
They often have mild to moderate intellectual disability and may have specific challenges with attention span, verbal memory, and expressive communication. Behavioral problems such as stubbornness, impulsivity, and temper tantrums may be more common in children with Down syndrome.
Almost one-half of babies with Down syndrome have congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common type of birth defect. CHD can lead to high blood pressure in the lungs, an inability of the heart to effectively and efficiently pump blood, and cyanosis (blue-tinted skin caused by reduced oxygen in the blood).
Sleep problems are very frequent in people with Down syndrome (DS). Insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and abnormal movements during sleep are present during their whole lifespan [1,2].
Some of the common medical issues as outlined by the Guidelines for Adults with Down Syndrome include “congenital cardiac and gastrointestinal anomalies, autoimmune conditions, diverse leukemias, respiratory infections, sleep disorders, hearing and vision loss and early development of Alzheimer's-type dementia.”
Include adults with Down syndrome in conversations about their future. Utilize tools that shift responsibility to them as much as possible, like cellphone reminders, visual cues, wall calendars, and daily to-do lists. Incorporate peer supports and mentors. No one likes to be told what to do by parents all the time!
FINDINGS. A new UCLA study is the first to demonstrate that Down syndrome accelerates aging in different parts of the body. The researchers showed that the biological age of brain tissue from someone with Down syndrome appeared 11 years older than the person's chronological age.
Misconception: People who have Down syndrome cannot have children. Reality: It's true that a person with Down syndrome may have significant challenges in rearing a child. But women who have Down syndrome are fertile and can give birth to children.
The risk for chromosome problems increases with the mother's age. The chance of having a child with Down syndrome increases over time. The risk is about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25. It increases to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.