Canadians with Down syndrome live until 60 on average, study finds

In Canada, "the average lifespan of someone with Down syndrome is about 60 years old," said Dr. Brian Skotko, senior author of the study.

Janet Charchuk knows that having Down syndrome puts her at higher risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease at a younger age than the average person.

“It is something that I do worry about at times,” she said in an interview from her home in Alberton, P.E.I.

But she’s doing everything she can to prevent it.

“Your diet, your sleep, exercise,” Charchuk said.

“(Having) friends and being social and doing brain exercises.”

Her favourite brain exercise is word searches. She also stays physically active and social, working at an equine therapy ranch, competing in the Special Olympics and serving on the board of advocacy group Down Syndrome International.

At 42, Charchuk is among the growing number of people with Down syndrome living well into adulthood. A recent study estimates there were 22,367 people with the developmental disability in Canada as of 2020 — with 30 per cent of them age 40 and older.

In Canada, “the average lifespan of someone with Down syndrome is about 60 years old,” said Dr. Brian Skotko, senior author of the study published earlier this year in the journal Genetics in Medicine.