Living Better with Down Syndrome
At 44, David Clarke leads an active life in Ireland, dividinghis time betweentwo jobs. He has Down syndrome, but hisjourneyillustrates the enormousprogress made in recentdecades: life expectancy has risenfrom 25 to over 60 years, with more professionalopportunities and greaterindependence.
However, living longer comes with an increased risk of developing health issues: early-onset Alzheimer’s, cognitive, heart, or digestive problems.
To better understand and prevent these complications, researcher Yann Hérault is coordinating GO-DS21, a five-year European project bringing together experts from several countries (France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom). This team of doctors, bioinformaticians, and AI specialists is analyzing the links between Down syndrome and these various disorders in order to propose concrete solutions: best practices in healthcare, nutrition, physical activity—everything needed to improve the quality of life of those affected.
Other research initiatives across Europe are exploring innovative treatments. One of the most promising is a drug currently being tested, which could enhance memory, focus, and learning abilities, offering greater independence in daily life.
Betweenscientificresearch, concrete action, and hope, theseadvances show how science can trulytransform the lives of people with Down syndrome.
An article to read to understand… and to believe in a more inclusive future.
To go further, the photo project "Here I Am," created by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) in collaboration withphotographer Hilary Gauld, highlights adults and seniors with Down syndrome, who are toooften absent from the media. Throughpowerful portraits, it challenges preconceived notions about their life expectancy, showcases the progress made, and raisesawareness about the growingneed for care and support.