Haemodynamic profile of Spanish adults with Down syndrome

Objectives: Although the reasons are unknown, the prevalence of arterial hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events in the adult population with Down syndrome (SD) is anecdotal. To better understand this finding, we evaluated the haemodynamic characteristics of a cohort of adults with SD.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults with SD recruited consecutively from the outpatient clinics of an internal medicine department between June and November 2018. We collected demographic, clinical and laboratory variables and employed a thoracic bioimpedance device (HOTMAN® System) for the haemodynamic measures. Outpatient blood pressure monitoring (OBPM) was conducted on a subgroup of participants.

Results: Twenty-six participants (mean age, 45±11years) participated in the study (50% men). The sample's mean blood pressure (BP) was 109/69±11/9mmHg, with a mean heart rate of 60±12bpm. None of the participants had hypertension. The predominant haemodynamic profile consisted of normal dynamism (65%), normal BP (96%), hypochronotropism (46%), normal inotropism (50%) and hypervolaemia (54%), with normal peripheral vascular resistance values (58%). Twelve participants underwent OBPM (46%). The mean 24-h systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean BP and mean heart rate were 105±11mmHg, 67±11mmHg, 80±11mmHg and 61±6bpm, respectively.

Conclusions: The most common haemodynamic profile observed in adults with SD consisted of hypochronotropism and hypervolaemia, with normal values for peripheral vascular resistance and optimal mean BP values. There were no participants with hypertension in our sample.