Down syndrome increases the risk of dementia

US and Argentinian scientists say people with Down syndrome have a higher risk of developing other diseases, such as dementia, according to UPI news agency.

Experts Pablo Helguera, Jaqueline Seiglie, Michael Hanna and Jose Rodriguez of the University of California (USA), and expert Gustavo Helguera of the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) have discovered some potential neurological agents explain why Some people with Down syndrome are prone to Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and autism spectrum disorders.

The risk of Alzheimer's disease in people with high Down - (Photo: Shutterstock)

The team found that the energy metabolism inside brain cells contributes to increased susceptibility to these diseases. Down syndrome occurs when a person has 47 chromosomes instead of 46 in normal people.

Experts' estimates suggest that at least 25% of people age 35 and older with Down syndrome have signs of Alzheimer's type dementia and this rate increases with age.

The risk of Alzheimer's disease in people with Down is about 3 to 5 times higher than that of normal people, the study found.

The results of the study are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.