Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, JAMA / 19.11.2018
Adults with Down’s Syndrome at High Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Rosalyn Hithersay
LonDowns
Kings College, London
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In our research group, we have been following a large group of adults with Down syndrome in the UK to track changes with ageing in their health and cognitive function. It has been known for some time now that people with Down syndrome are at high risk for developing dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. This new study has shown the huge impact that this risk has on mortality for these adults.
We found that dementia is now the likely underlying cause of death in more than 70% of adults with Down syndrome aged over 35 years. This is a much bigger proportion of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease compared to the general population: in England and Wales only 17.5% of deaths past the age of 65 would be related to dementia of any kind. (more…)
