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For people with Down syndrome, family members, caregivers and professionals.

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Duration: 20 ms, Number of Results: 23

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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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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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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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Menopause in Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

What is menopause? Menopause is the point in a woman’s life when she no longer has menstrual cycles. It typically occurs when a woman is in her late 40s to 50s and is diagnosed afte

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Common Symptoms Associated with Menstruation (Periods)

Author: Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

Many women with Down syndrome experience symptoms associated with their period. When those symptoms are consistent or more severe, women are sometimes diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or pre

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PMS and PMDD in Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are psychological and physical symptoms which are related to hormone changes that occur during a woman's menstrual cycle.

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Birth Control in Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

Birth control encompasses a wide range of strategies and medications used to prevent pregnancy. Besides preventing pregnancy, some of the medications may be used to treat other common symptoms of mens

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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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Menstrual Hygiene

Author: Katie Frank, PhD, OTR/L and Hannah Graham, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

One topic that comes up frequently at the Adult Down Syndrome Center is menstrual hygiene. Women with Down syndrome and their caregivers often ask us about strategies to make periods easier or even to

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Pelvic Exam Social Story

Author: PA ASERT and SexEdVA - Resource List

The social stories linked below are intended to help individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental or intellectual disabilities prepare for and feel more comfortable with getting a pelvic exa

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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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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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Effect of Menopause on Cognition in Women with Down Syndrome?

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

What is the effect of menopause on cognition in women with Down syndrome? Menopause , defined as the cessation of menses (periods) for 12 months, occurs at a slightly younger age in women with Down sy

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Use of Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks

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

We were sent a question about the use of aspirin to prevent heart attacks in people with Down syndrome. We have provided some information below. Please note that this information is for educational pu

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Mammograms

Author: Sravanthi Paritala, MD - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

What is a mammogram? A mammogram is a special type of x-ray that looks for breast cancer, which is the most common cancer among women. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recomme

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Osteoporosis and Osteopenia: Low Bone Density

Author: Kevin Conley, MD - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are conditions where bones become more brittle and prone to breaking. Osteopenia is the less severe form and a signal to work on improving bone health. Anyone can develop t

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Breast Cancer Screening for Women with Down Syndrome

Author: Chicoine et al. - Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2015)

Abstract This study examined mammogram reports of women with Down syndrome (DS) treated in the largest medical facility specifically serving adults with DS in the United States. Records of 684 women a

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Down Syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, and Bicuspid Aortic Valve

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

We were sent a question about Down syndrome and Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome and Bicuspid Aortic Valve. WPW is a heart condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart. The

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Down Syndrome and Heart Disease

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

If a 45-year-old man presents to the emergency room with chest pain, what is the big concern? Coronary ischemia (low blood flow to the heart muscle) and possibly myocardial infarction (heart attack).

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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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