Aging

Are there any particular medical problems that arise in elderly persons with CdLS?

Over the last several years we have been investigating aging in CdLS. So far, other than GI complications, there do not seem to be major serious long-term medical issues. From the GI point of view, reflux can persist even silently and lead to Barrett’s esophagus and related complications, as well as produce behavioral issues. We are not aware of specific malignancies (including esophageal), cardiac complications or strokes. Several patients have reported arthritis. Osteopenia is an issue, especially having had ovaries or testes removed, and calcium supplementation would be recommended. There may be a hint of premature aging (e.g. arthritis developing in late 20’s, enlarged prostates in males occurring in their 30’s, the progression of reflux esophagitis to Barrett’s esophagus in the teenage and young adult years, some slowing down mentally). Mentally, some individuals may develop depression. We are in the process of checking endocrinologic function but have no data on this yet.

TK 7-13-10

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