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Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

Author: Ima V. Jonkheer, DO and Brian Chicoine, MD - Family Medicine, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Key Points  The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system. It is a gland that is in the neck. Thyroid function affects or has an impact on many body functions and, therefore, abnormal thy

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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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Tremors in People with Down Syndrome

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

Key Points Tremors are repetitive involuntary movements. Tremors can be mild and cause limited disruption or more severe and restricting. There are many causes for tremors. An evaluation by a health p

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Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures or Fake Seizures

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

We periodically get asked questions about “fake seizures.” They have also been called “pseudo-seizures” but are now more accurately called non-epileptic seizure

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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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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

Author: Brian Chicoine, MD, and Dennis McGuire, PhD, LCSW - Adult Down Syndrome Center

*This article was adapted from  Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome: A Guide to Emotional and Behavioral Strengths and Challenges, 2nd Edition . What is attention-deficit/hyperactivi

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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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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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Gout in People with Down Syndrome

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

Gout is more common in people with Down syndrome (DS) (as indicated by the studies at this link  and this link ). Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis caused by

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Stroke and Vascular Disease in Down Syndrome Webinar Recording

Author: Jonathan Santoro, MD - Director of Neuroimmunology and Demyelinating Disorders Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California

The webinar below was hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles. The topic was "Stroke and Vascular Disease in Down Syndrome: How to Identify and Prevent." The presenter

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Does TSH tell the whole story?

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

Thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) are more common in people with Down syndrome. Current guidelines for adults with Down syndrome

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Tourette Syndrome and Down Syndrome

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

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a hereditary, chronic neuromuscular condition consisting of motor and vocal tics. Tics are sudden, involuntary, brief, repetitive movements and vocalizations.* Motor tics can

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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Individuals with Down Syndrome Video

Author: Joseph Pereira - Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Hospital for Children

The video below was narrated and presented by Joseph Pereira, a 4th year medical student at Harvard Medical School, as part of his work with the MGH Down Syndrome Program . He shares information about

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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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Seizures in People with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease

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

We were sent a question about seizures in a person with Down syndrome who developed Alzheimer’s disease. The individual continued to experience seizures despite being treated with l

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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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Seizures

Author: Aashima Ghai, DO - Family Medicine Resident, Adult Down Syndrome Center

Definition: Seizures are waves of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The brain has multiple nerve cells that create and receive electrical impulses which help the cells communicate with each o

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Strokes and Down Syndrome

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

Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain is compromised, which deprives the brain of needed oxygen and glucose. Strokes can be caused by atherosclerotic disease (a disease in which the inside

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Diabetes in Adults with Down Syndrome

Author: Chuan-Li Fan, DO - Family Medicine Resident, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease marked by the inability of the body to regulate sugars through insulin. Either the body does not produce enough insulin in the pancreas to help the body absorb suga

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Startle Reflex and Myoclonus

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

We were asked a question about increased “startle reflex” in a 30-year-old. Please note: The information below is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a su

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Thyroid, Weight, and Metabolism

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

We were sent a question about thyroid, weight, and metabolism in people with Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome more commonly have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), one symptom of which is w

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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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Ask the Doctor: Thyroid Testing

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

Question: Recently, my daughter’s annual thyroid blood work came back as follows: TSH 9.74 (normal: 0.3-5.0), T3 27.8 (normal: 25.0-35.0), Free T4 1.7 (normal: 1.0-4.3), and T4 6.2 (normal:

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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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