Abstract
Previous research indicates autistic individuals die at a younger age than others and that this is possibly due in part to chronic physical health conditions. The present study used an anonymous, online survey to determine how common certain physical health conditions are among autistic adults, compared with non-autistic adults. We found autistic adults are more likely to develop heart conditions, lung conditions, and diabetes than non-autistic adults. Autistic females may be at higher risk of developing certain conditions (including respiratory conditions, asthma, and prediabetes) than autistic males. Finally, autistic individuals have increased health risks even when considering lifestyle factors (such as smoking, alcohol, and body mass index). This is still a relatively small study, and future research needs to confirm these findings and identify why these risks exist.
Highlights
Autism spectrum conditions are lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by social and communication difficulties; markedly restricted, repetitive interests and behavior; and differences in cognitive profile, including atypical sensory perception and information processing, motor abilities, and intellectual ability (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
This suggests that autistic adults have these increased health risks, even after taking into account the potential risks associated with obesity and substance use problems
In regard to sex differences, our results suggest that autistic females may have excess risk of developing respiratory conditions, asthma, and prediabetes compared to autistic males
Summary
Autism spectrum conditions ( autism) are lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by social and communication difficulties; markedly restricted, repetitive interests and behavior; and differences in cognitive profile, including atypical sensory perception and information processing, motor abilities, and intellectual ability (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autistic individuals are at higher risk of premature mortality than non-autistic individuals, with some evidence of further increased risks for those with intellectual disability and for autistic females; in addition, chronic physical health conditions or poor physical health are associated with premature mortality for autistic individuals across the spectrum of intellectual ability (Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al, 2018; DaWalt et al, 2019; Hirvikoski et al, 2016; Hwang et al, 2019; Woolfenden et al, 2012) Despite these risks, there are very few studies of autistic adults with a large enough sample size to accurately identify medical conditions that frequently co-occur with autism
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