Down's syndrome
People with Down's syndrome are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in adult life. Research has shown that virtually all people with Down's syndrome develop the plaques and tangles in the brain, characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. It has been found that the amyloid protein located in these plaques and tangles is linked to a gene on chromosome 21, of which people with Down's syndrome have an extra copy, which accounts for increased risk.
