People with autism are 'dying younger,' warns study

Conclusion These are distressing figures for anyone with ASD, and their friends and families. But we need to remember what the figures actually represent: people with ASD in this Swedish population sample had an increased risk of dying during follow-up relative to the people without ASD. These results do not mean that people with ASD have the certainty of a shortened life. Average figures don't tell you about what will happen to one individual. Although some previous studies showed that people with ASD have a higher risk of dying sooner than those who do not have the condition, they were too small to look at the detail of the causes of death and the differences between men and women, as well as between people with high-functioning and low-functioning autism. This study is big and based on reliable databases. However, because of the way that ASD was recorded in Sweden before 2001, it may represent more people with severe autism than in the average population. People were only added to the record if they had been in contact with clinical psychiatric services. People with less severe autism may not have had a diagnosis recorded. At present, we don't know enough to say what causes the increased chances of death for people with ASD. We don't know exactly what causes ASD, which makes it hard to see how possible causes, such as genes, might affect both the chances of getting ASD and of getting other conditions that can affect the length of your life. Given that the chances of ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Medical practice Neurology Source Type: news