Life Expectancy Longer for People with Down's

The study also finds people with Down syndrome are less likely to die from most cancers than people without the condition.

Down syndrome is the most frequently identified cause of mental retardation, affecting about 1 in every 800 newborns. Fifty years ago, about half of all babies born with Down syndrome died before their first birthday. Today more than 90 percent survive past their first year. The mortality rate for people with the condition, however, remains high, and the most frequent causes of death are congenital heart defects and respiratory infections.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reviewed data from all United States death certificates issued between 1983 and 1997 to calculate the overall death rate for people with Down syndrome. About 18,000 people with the condition were identified.

The study confirmed congenital heart defects were the most common cause of death among these individuals, but researchers were surprised to learn people with Down syndrome were about one-tenth as likely as others to die of all cancers expect leukemia and testicular cancer. They speculate the reduced risk may be related to the condition itself or lower exposure to environmental risks associated with cancer.
 
The researchers suggest the higher life expectancy seen today for people with Down syndrome may be related to better medical care for these individuals and the greater likelihood they will be cared for at home rather than in an institution.

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2002;359:1019-1025

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