Autistic adults have a higher rate of physical health conditions, study
finds

Date:
September 10, 2020
Source:
University of Cambridge
Summary:
Autistic individuals are more likely to have chronic physical health
conditions, particularly heart, lung, and diabetic conditions,
according to a new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Autistic individuals are more likely to have chronic physical health conditions, particularly heart, lung, and diabetic conditions, according
to a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The results
are published today in the journal Autism.


========================================================================== Earlier research has shown that autistic people on average die younger
than others and that this may be, in part, due to chronic physical health conditions. Previous studies have also shown that autistic people are
at higher risk of a variety of health conditions, but we don't know
what is driving these increased risks. Thus, better understanding of
the physical health of autistic adults may help us improve both their
quality and length of life.

1,156 autistic individuals and 1,212 non-autistic individuals took part
in an anonymous, online survey developed by the team about their lifestyle choices and daily habits, personal and family medical history. The results indicate that autistic individuals are, on average, 1.5 to 4.3 times as
likely to have a wide variety of health conditions, including low blood pressure, arrhythmias, asthma, and prediabetes.

This new study is also the first to examine the influence of smoking,
alcohol use, and BMI. Surprisingly, the results show that these lifestyle factors (which increase the risk of chronic physical health problems in
the general population) do not account for the heightened risk of heart,
lung, and diabetic conditions seen among autistic adults.

The study also explored the experiences of female respondents and of older adults, both of whom remain understudied groups. The results revealed
that autistic females, even more so than autistic males, are more likely
to report increased risks of physical health conditions. In addition, the
types of conditions of risk depend on the person's biological sex. For
example, autistic females are 4.3 times more likely to have prediabetes
than non-autistic females; however, autistic and non-autistic males
are equally likely to have prediabetes. These results suggest that a
"one size fits all" approach to the healthcare of autistic people may
not be effective.

Elizabeth Weir, the PhD student who led the study, said: "This is a first
step in better understanding why autistic individuals are so much more
likely to have chronic physical health problems. While smoking, alcohol,
and BMI may play a role, we now need to focus on what other biological
(e.g. genetic, hormonal, etc), environmental, lifestyle (e.g. diet,
exercise, sleep, etc) or healthcare- related factors are contributing to
these health disparities." Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the
Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, who was part of the team, said: "This
new study highlights the physical health risks to autistic individuals,
and has important implications for their healthcare. Understanding the
reasons why these disparities exist will allow us to better support
autistic individuals and improve the quality and length of their lives." Funding for this project was provided by the Autism Research Trust, the Rosetrees Trust, and the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cambridge. The original
story is licensed under a Creative_Commons_License. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Elizabeth Weir, Carrie Allison, Varun Warrier, Simon Baron-Cohen.

Increased prevalence of non-communicable physical health conditions
among autistic adults. Autism, 2020; 136236132095365 DOI: 10.1177/
1362361320953652 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200910120110.htm

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