A new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers confirms that autistic people experience a reduced life expectancy, however the number of years of life lost may not be as high as previously claimed.
The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, is the first to estimate the life expectancy and years of life lost by autistic people living in the UK.
The team used anonymised data from GP practices throughout the UK to study people who received an autism diagnosis between 1989 to 2019.
The researchers found that autistic men without a learning disability had an average estimated life expectancy of 74.6 years, and autistic women without a learning disability, around 76.8 years.
Meanwhile, the estimated life expectancy for people diagnosed with autism and learning disability was around 71.7 years for men and 69.6 years for women.
These figures compare to the usual life expectancy of around 80 years for men and around 83 years for women living in the UK.
“Autism itself does not, to our knowledge, directly reduce life expectancy, but we know that autistic people experience health inequalities, meaning that they often don’t get the support and help that they need when they need it,” said lead investigator of the study, Professor Josh Stott.