Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 in adults with Down syndrome and protection against macrovascular disease.

In the present study we have shown that adults with Down syndrome have reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 in blood compared with control subjects matched for age, gender, and body mass. Reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 may explain the low incidence of atherosclerotic vascular disease and its complications that are attributable to plaque instability, such as myocardial infarction and unstable angina, in subjects with Down syndrome, despite an ever-increasing life expectancy.