title: Care of Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Down Syndrome.
abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder involving excess genetic material from chromosome 21. The incidence of DS is increasing, and the life expectancy for individuals with DS has increased to a median age of 55 years. Adults with DS are at increased risk of several conditions, including significant neurologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, psychiatric, hematologic, and social comorbidities, and additional screening or monitoring may be needed. Additional preventive measures for patients with DS include regular screening for thyroid dysfunction, hearing loss, eye disorders, heart disease, osteoporosis, and dementia, and one-time vaccination with the polyvalent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). Quality of life should be the main focus of treatment, with patients being involved in medical decisions as much as possible.
authors.affiliation: Neuro Behavioral Home Program, 650 Komas Drive Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Neuro Behavioral Home Program, 650 Komas Drive Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, kyle.jones@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Kyle Bradford
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Neuro Behavioral Home Program, 650 Komas Drive Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weedon
authors.affiliation: Neuro Behavioral Home Program, 650 Komas Drive Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bilder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000628:therapy*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000628:therapy*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life