Risk of physical health comorbidities in autistic adults: a clinical nested cross-sectional study

Hunt, Megan, Underwood, Jack ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1731-6039, Hubbard, Leon and Hall, Jeremy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2737-9009 2024. Risk of physical health comorbidities in autistic adults: a clinical nested cross-sectional study. BJPsych Open 10 (6) , e182. 10.1192/bjo.2024.777

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Abstract

Background: Physical health conditions are more common in individuals with autism. Some, like epilepsy, have considerable evidence supporting their increased prevalence, but many diseases lack literature to make strong conclusions. Aims: To investigate the prevalence of physical health comorbidities in autism. Method: We undertook a nested cross-sectional study, using a sample from the National Centre for Mental Health database. It included participants from England and Wales who reported a clinician-made diagnosis of autism (n = 813), and a control sample without autism or mental illness (n = 2781). Participants had provided a medical history at enrolment. Analysis was carried out by binomial logistic regressions controlling for age, gender, smoking status, and antipsychotic and mood stabiliser use. A subanalysis of individuals with concurrent intellectual disability (n = 86) used binomial logistic regression with the same control variables. Results: Many physical health conditions were significantly more common in autism. Sixteen out of 28 conditions showed increased odds, with the highest odds ratios observed for liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. A subanalysis demonstrated a similar pattern of physical health in individuals with autism with and without concurrent intellectual disability. Some conditions, including osteoporosis, hyperthyroidism, head injury and liver disease, had larger odds ratios in individuals with concurrent intellectual disability. Conclusions: Physical health conditions occur more commonly in individuals with autism, and certain conditions are further increased in those with concurrent intellectual disability. Our findings contribute to prior evidence, including novel associations, and suggest that people with autism are at greater risk of physical health problems throughout adulthood.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	National Centre for Mental Health (PNCMH) Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) Medicine MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG)
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	2056-4724
Funders:	Wellcome Trust, Healthcare Research Wales, Medical Research Council, Waterloo Foundation Future Minds Programme
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 September 2024
Date of Acceptance:	26 July 2024
Last Modified:	25 Nov 2024 13:27
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/172030

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