Cardiac diseases in people with intellectual disability.

Galuska et al. (2006) looked at every adult living in 13 Dutch residential homes for people with intellectual disability. They read each person's medical file and noted any doctor-diagnosed heart problem. The final count was 436 adults.

About 1 in 7 residents had heart disease. Women, older adults, and people with mild or moderate ID showed the highest rates. The number rose with age, just like in the general public.

McCarron et al. (2013) and Hermans et al. (2014) later asked the same big question but counted all chronic diseases, not just the heart. They found even heavier burdens: 71% of adults over 40 had two or more illnesses, and the share jumped to 80% after age 50. These studies extend the 2006 finding by showing the heart data sit inside a wider pattern of multimorbidity.

Bao et al. (2017) zoomed in on adults with severe or profound ID plus motor disability. Their review still lists heart trouble, yet epilepsy (70%) tops the chart. The narrower group keeps cardiac risk, but brain and movement problems overshadow it.

McConkey et al. (2010) add a warning: people with ID are hospitalized for preventable conditions at six times the usual rate. Together the papers tell one story—cardiac disease is common, but it is only one piece of heavy, and often avoidable, medical need.

When you support an adult with ID, plan for the heart as well as the head. Build cardiac checks into annual assessments, especially for women and clients over 40. Use the high multimorbidity rates from later studies to justify full physicals, medication reviews, and fall-risk screens. Flag any chest pain, fatigue, or swelling early; primary-care gaps already send too many people to the hospital. A quick nurse visit today can stop an ambulance tomorrow.