In Wisconsin, 3 in 5 people with Down syndrome diagnosed with dementia by age 55

Newswise — MADISON, Wis. — Not so many years ago, people with Down syndrome rarely survived to middle age. Many died young due to heart problems associated with the congenital condition.

Today, advances in treatment have allowed them to live longer, healthier lives. But these advances have also revealed a previously unknown characteristic of the condition: increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and at younger ages than people without Down syndrome. In fact, evidence from autopsies shows that, by age 40, the brains of nearly all adults with Down syndrome harbor signs of dementia.

A new study of 3,000 people in Wisconsin aged 21 and older with Down…