Today the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome is approximately 60 years. As recently as 1983, the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was 25 years. The dramatic increase to 60 years is largely due to the end of the inhumane practice of institutionalizing people with Down syndrome.
Why do people with Down syndrome die faster?
Results: People with Down syndrome died about 28 years younger than the general population. Congenital heart anomalies, comorbidities, low birthweight, and Black and minority ethnicity influenced earlier age of death, as did younger maternal age and poorer parental education.
How does Down syndrome progress over time?
People with Down syndrome are typically hyperflexible. Over the years they can put increased wear-and-tear on their large joints (hips, knees, etc.). This leads to increased risk of osteoarthritis. Adults who are overweight or who were previously overweight are at increased risk.
Does Down syndrome increase with age?
Risk factors include: Advancing maternal age. A woman's chances of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increase with age because older eggs have a greater risk of improper chromosome division. A woman's risk of conceiving a child with Down syndrome increases after 35 years of age.Mar 8, 2018
How much does Down syndrome increase with age?
The chance of having a child affected by Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 1,250 for a woman who conceives at age 25, to about 1 in 100 for a woman who conceives at age 40.
Which condition do older adults with Down syndrome tend to develop?
Many but not all people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease when they get older. People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, which carries a gene that produces a specific protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP).
What is the average age for a person with Down syndrome to live?
1. Today the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome is approximately 60 years. As recently as 1983, the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was 25 years. The dramatic increase to 60 years is largely due to the end of the inhumane practice of institutionalizing people with Down syndrome.