Adults with cerebral palsy are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease compared to adults without the condition, a new study led by Irish researchers has found.

Cerebral palsy is a term used to refer to a range of complicated conditions that affect movement and posture. It occurs when the brain fails to develop properly or is damaged before or during birth, or during early childhood.

Around 17 million people are affected worldwide and the condition can affect different parts of the body in different ways, such as involuntary jerking movements, problems with balance, difficulties moving limbs and speech impairment.

While cerebral palsy used to be considered a paediatric condition, most children with it now survive into adulthood and many adults with it have a near normal life expectancy.

Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Brunel University London decided to look into the risk of developing chronic conditions among adults with cerebral palsy.

"Until recently, we did not know much about the consequences of ageing with cerebral palsy. Our findings highlight the need for further research into the management of non-communicable diseases in this population," commented the study's lead author, Dr Jennifer Ryan, a lecturer at the RCSI and Brunel University London.

The researchers compared 1,700 adults with cerebral palsy to 5,000 adults without the condition in an attempt to identify how many developed non-infectious (non-communicable) diseases, such as stroke or asthma.

The study found that after adjusting for relevant factors, adults with the condition were around twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease.

When broken down more, adults with cerebral palsy were 5.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke, 2.6 times more likely to develop heart failure, 2.3 times more likely to develop ischaemic heart disease, 2.2 times more likely to develop asthma and 1.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure.

However, they were no more likely to develop cancer or diabetes.

"Recent clinical guidelines for adults with cerebral palsy in the UK recommended that pathways need to be developed that allow adults with cerebral palsy access to a multidisciplinary team. However, adults with cerebral palsy in Ireland lack access to co-ordinated multidisciplinary support," Dr Ryan noted.

She emphasised that being able to access health professionals with a knowledge of cerebral palsy, such as neurologists, orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists, could slow the deterioration in a patient's function and help to prevent the development of other conditions as they age.

"Our results clearly emphasise the importance of reframing how cerebral palsy is traditionally viewed; to recognise that it is not simply a condition of childhood. Health services should be designed and delivered with the aim of supporting people with cerebral palsy to be healthy and active throughout their lives," added the study's co-author, Dr Neil O'Connell, of Brunel University London.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Neurology.