Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's DIsease

In a recent study at Washington University School of Medicine about Alzheimer’s Disease, it is suggested that Down Syndrome patients who live to middle age or older have reduced incidence of cancer (if they have AD).

Well … did you know:

Genes for Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease share the same chromosome 21.
(www.springerlink.com/index/58574V531VWMR1M0.pdf)

Down syndrome, artery-clogging cardiovascular disease, and possibly even diabetes, appear to share a common disease mechanism with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Potter and colleagues at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, recently reported.

People with Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21, develop a syndrome of dementia that has the same characteristics of Alzheimer's disease that occurs in individuals without Down syndrome. The only difference is that Alzheimer's disease occurs much earlier in people with Down syndrome; patients with Down syndrome begin to have symptoms in their late 40s or early 50s.

Most (and maybe all) people with Down syndrome develop the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. However, Alzheimer's disease is not more common in individuals with intellectual disabilities from causes other than Down syndrome. An estimated 10%-25% of patients with Down syndrome have Alzheimer's disease at age 40-49 years, 20%-50% have Alzheimer's disease at age 50-59 years, and 60%-75% have Alzheimer's disease when older than 60 years of age. Alzheimer's disease decreases survival in people with Down syndrome who are older than 45 years of age.
(http://www.emedicinehealth.com/alzheimer_disease_in_individuals_with_down_syndro/article_em.htm)

Hmmmmmm .....