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Duration: 29 ms, Number of Results: 32

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Hypertension and Hypotension

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points  The blood pressure of people with Down syndrome tends to be on the lower side. High blood pressure (hypertension) is much less common in people with Down syndrome. Blood pressures

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Prostate Cancer Screening in Men with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points on Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. There is uncertainty about the potential benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening for men.&nb

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Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Screening for Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points Breast cancer is less common in women with Down syndrome compared to women without Down syndrome. Currently, the recommendations for breast cancer screening are the same for women with and

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Dysgerminomas in Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points A dysgerminoma is a type of cancer that usually occurs in a woman's ovary. There is limited research on dysgerminomas in women with Down syndrome. It is not clear if dysgerminomas a

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Cardiovascular Youth for Life: Prevalence of Acquired Cardiovascular Diseases in the Adult Population with Down Syndrome

Author: Wang et al. - The American Journal of Cardiology (2023)

The article linked below is a brief report on the prevalence of acquired cardiovascular diseases and risk factor conditions in adults with Down syndrome.  Keywords:  cardiovascular a

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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Author: Allison Schnitzler, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also known as heartburn or reflux. GERD is common in people with Down syndrome (DS). There are a variety of things that can be done at home to redu

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Celiac Disease

Author: Robert Campbell, DO and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points Celiac disease is caused by a sensitivity to gluten. It is more common in people with Down syndrome. It can be diagnosed through an assessment including a history, physical, blood work, and

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Cardiovascular Complications of Down Syndrome: Scoping Review and Expert Consensus

Author: Dimopoulos et al. - Circulation (2023)

Abstract Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with Down syndrome. Congenital heart disease is the most common cardiovascular condition in this group, pre

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Acrocyanosis

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is acrocyanosis? Acrocyanosis is the bluish discoloration of the extremities (usually the hands and/or feet) due to decreased oxygen being delivered to those areas. The small blood vessels in the

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Constipation in Down Syndrome

Author: Samantha Ghanayem-Bouikidis, MD and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Video Watch a video clip about constipation  from our webinar At-Home Treatments for Common Health Conditions.   Constipation is a common problem in people with Down syndrom

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a health issue in the intestines (bowels). It is not clear how common it is in people with Down syndrome (DS).  However, we suspect that IBS is more common i

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My ECG/EKG

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center

This visual explains what happens when you get an ECG or EKG.

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Testicular Cancer

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Key Points Testicular cancer is more common in men with Down syndrome compared to men without Down syndrome. Health care providers can check for testicular cancer during an annual physical exam. Testi

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When Veins Don't Work

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is the vascular system? Our vascular system includes blood vessels (including veins, arteries, and smaller blood vessels) as well as the heart. Arteries carry blood away from the heart towards th

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Swallowing Problems (Dysphagia)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Swallowing problems (dysphagia) are common in people with Down syndrome (DS). In our large cohort study that reviewed health data from people cared for within Advocate Health, swallowing problems were

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Use of Probiotics by People with Down Syndrome

Author: Adult Down Syndrome Center - Resource

What are probiotics? Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms (e.g., bacteria). Foods with labels that say "live and active cultures" contain probiotics.

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Heart Disease in Adults with Down Syndrome Between 1996 and 2016

Author: Fitzpatrick et al. - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (2020)

Abstract Purpose:  To describe demographic factors and calculate prevalence of heart disease-related conditions among the adult Down syndrome (DS) sample population and to compare demographic

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Liver Fibrosis

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Fibrosis of the liver can be thought of as a "scar" in the liver that results from chronic liver injury. It is similar to scarring that may form on the skin or in the lung or other o

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Treating Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease with Surgery

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

We were asked about surgical options for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when stomach contents, including acid, go "backwards" from the stomach up into t

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Cancer Screening in Adults with Down Syndrome: A Proposal

Author: Rethore et al. - European Journal of Medical Genetics (2019)

Abstract Background : The specific distribution of cancers in Down syndrome (DS) calls into question the validity of screening policies for cancer surveillance as implemented for the general populatio

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Benefits and Harms of Mammography Screening for Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Alagoz et al. - Journal of General Internal Medicine (2019)

Abstract Background:  Women with Down syndrome have a lower breast cancer risk and significantly lower life expectancies than women without Down syndrome. Therefore, it is not clear whether m

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Vasovagal Syncope (Fainting)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is vasovagal syncope?  Vasovagal syncope is what we commonly think of as fainting in response to emotional upset or pain. Chen-Scarabelli and Scarabelli (2004) define it as “a

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The Pattern of Malignancies in Down Syndrome and Its Potential Context with the Immune System

Author: Satge & Seidel - Frontiers in Immunology (2018)

Abstract The immune surveillance theory of cancer posits that the body's immune system detects and destroys randomly occurring malignant cells. This theory is based on the observation of the i

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Colon Cancer Screening for People with Down Syndrome

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Medical Director, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Is colon cancer screening recommended for people with Down syndrome? Please note that this handout discusses screening colonoscopies (i.e. colonoscopies performed to identify pre-symptomatic or unreco

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Please note: The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for a medical, psychiatric, mental health, or behavioral evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan by a qualified professional. We recommend you review the educational material with your health providers regarding the specifics of your health care needs.

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