[Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease]
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. Trisomy 21 is the origin of Down's syndrome in 96% of cases, meaning that instead of 21 pairs of chromosomes, they have three chromosomes. 3, 21.ean, which is why it is on March 21.
The main interviewee of this issue, Miren Altuna Azkargorta, reminds us both of the day and the reason. Altuna is not a geneticist, but a neurologist who specializes in Alzheimer’s. We have been talking about this disease in the interview, and although everything he has explained is remarkable, some ideas are particularly significant.
Dementia is not a direct consequence of aging, so most cases are Alzheimer’s. He also stressed the importance of making a diagnosis before the onset of the dementia phase and of healthy lifestyle habits. He also talks about research and has been hopeful about the possibility of blood diagnosis and the new drugs that have been developed.
He mentions not only the progress but also the shortcomings and brings out of the shadows a group of people who remain hidden: Those with Down's syndrome. In fact, their life expectancy is 20 years shorter than the rest, and they have Alzheimer’s as their primary cause of death. What’s more, a person with Down syndrome will certainly develop Alzheimer’s if they live long enough.
Although this is in fact very hard, he explains that, predictably, they can start to be treated in the preclinical phase, and that great progress has been made. In addition, their problem is mainly that they produce too much amyloid. And the new drugs eliminate amyloid, which is supposed to be of great benefit to them.
Not all of these have been included in the magazine, but we have tried to capture the essentials, because we are convinced that it benefits society as a whole to be aware of it. This is also the goal of international days. May the 21st of March serve to reinforce the message that we want to spread from the magazine and vice versa.
Buletina
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