Key result
Among adults with Down syndrome, 22.5% had confirmed congenital or valvular heart disease, while atherothrombotic events were practically nonexistent.
Why the study?
Data describing congenital and acquired heart diseases in adults with Down syndrome were needed to inform potential health recommendations for this population.
Cross-Sectional (n=937)
No
Adults with Down syndrome have a high prevalence of congenital and valvular heart disease but very low rates of classic atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk factors and events, supporting the need for universal echocardiography-based screening.
May inform adult Down syndrome cardiac evaluation; extends pediatric data but leaves open prospective outcome studies.
To describe congenital and acquired heart diseases in a Spanish cohort of adults with Down syndrome (DS), which could inform potential health recommendations for this population. Cross-sectional, observational study of adults with DS evaluated consecutively at a tertiary care, outpatient center between January 1 and December 31, 2019. The study population comprised 937 patients (51.8% men; median [IQR] age, 42 [18] years). An echocardiogram was available in the clinical chart of 420 patients (44.8%). The diagnosis of any form of heart disease was confirmed in 211 patients (22.5%): 101 (10.8%) had congenital heart defects, 80 (8.5%) simultaneous congenital and valvular heart diseases, and 30 (3.2%) isolated valvular heart disease. 111 patients (52.6% of those with congenital or valvular heart disease) had received corrective cardiac surgery. A total of 65 individuals were receiving medical management alone (30.8%), while 35 did not require any treatment because their cardiac disease was mild (16.6%). We found a high overall prevalence of heart disease in patients with DS, higher than previously reported for the pediatric population. Management of cardiovascular disease in adults with DS differs from that of the general population and should include universal echocardiography-based screening.
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Rabes et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Down syndrome (n=937). Down syndrome was evaluated on Prevalence of congenital and acquired heart diseases. Among adults with Down syndrome, 22.5% had confirmed congenital or valvular heart disease, while atherothrombotic events were practically nonexistent.
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