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Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

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

What is hypoglycemia? Hypoglycemia is the medical term for low blood sugar or low glucose. Blood sugar or glucose levels can be measured with a blood test. Healthcare providers make the diagnosis of h

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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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Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - Adult Down Syndrome Center

Vitamin B12 deficiency is an issue that we often check for in individuals who receive medical care at the Adult Down Syndrome Center. We usually get enough vitamin B12 from the foods we eat. Vitamin B

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Low Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD - "Ask Dr. Chicoine" LuMind IDSC Foundation

Blood pressure and heart rates/pulses that are on the lower end of normal or even a little lower than normal are common findings in people with Down syndrome (see this article on hypertension

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Testicular Cancer

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

While many solid tumor cancers are  less  common in people with Down syndrome compared to people without Down syndrome, testicular cancer is one type of solid tumor cancer that is&am

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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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Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Screening for Women with Down Syndrome

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

Breast cancer screening recommendations have varied over time and continue to vary. Organizations have different recommendations for when women should start being screened for breast cancer and how of

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Dysgerminomas in Women with Down Syndrome

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

We received a request for information on dysgerminomas in women with Down syndrome. Dysgerminomas are germ cell tumors that typically occur in the ovary. Testicular cancer is the comparable cancer in

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Prostate Cancer Screening in Men with Down Syndrome

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

Should men with Down syndrome (DS) undergo prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood testing for prostate cancer screening? The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends the followi

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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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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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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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Normal Abnormal Lab Values

Author: Hannah Graham, MD - Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

When running routine blood tests, sometimes abnormal values are flagged by the lab or computer system. Some of these values, while outside of the normal range, are still typical and/or acceptable for

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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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Recurrent Pneumonia

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

Definition of Pneumonia  (by the Mayo Clinic ) Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus, causing cough with phlegm or

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Low White Blood Cell Count

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

What is the significance of a low white blood cell count (neutropenia)? We commonly find that our adult patients with Down syndrome have a mildly reduced white blood cell count. What does it mean? Wha

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Elevated Globulin

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

Globulins are antibodies (found and measured in the blood) that are elevated in inflammatory conditions, infections, and some cancers. We often find the globulin level to be elevated in people with Do

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MCH and MCV

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

We received a question about MCH and MCV. The question concerned an individual with Down syndrome who had a high MCH and MCV. MCH is mean corpuscular hemoglobin (the average amount of hemoglobin in th

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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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Hypertension and Hypotension

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

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major health problem – except not for people with Down syndrome. There has recently been much discussion about reducing the salt consumption of the Un

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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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