Autism linked to 14-year gap in life expectancy

Autistic people face a fourteen-year deficit in life expectancy

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and University of Colorado Anschutz.

People with autism spectrum disorder in the US face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy due to excess mortality from various causes. Life expectancy among Medicaid beneficiaries with ASD increased by 1.7 years between 2000-2004 and 2015-2019, but the gap with the general population persisted.

Autism Cuts 13.8 Years Off Life Expectancy—and the Causes Are Depressingly Preventable

People with autism are more likely to die early from various health conditions, including influenza, drowning, and malnutrition.

Autism linked to 14-year gap in life expectancy

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States face a 14-year deficit in life expectancy, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and University of Colorado Anschutz. The study provides one of the first large-scale estimates of age-specific death rates and life expectancy among people with ASD. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.