University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Autism. 2019 Oct;23(7):1732-1739. doi: 10.1177/1362361319827412. Epub 2019 Feb 28.
Research has shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have higher rates of health problems throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and that this may result in elevated risk of early mortality. This study reported the rate, timing, and causes of death in a large community-based cohort of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder ( = 406) over a 20-year period (1998-2018) and identified predictors of mortality. Over this period, 6.4% of individuals died at an average age of 39 years. Causes of death included chronic conditions (such as cancer and heart disease), accidents (such as choking on food and accidental poisoning), and health complications due to medication side effects. Even after controlling for age and health status, significant predictors of mortality were early childhood levels of impairments in social reciprocity and high levels of functional impairments at the start of the study period. The results suggest the importance of social engagement and functional self-sufficiency across the life course, as well as adequate access to health care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
研究表明，自闭症谱系障碍患者在儿童期、青少年期和成年期的健康问题发生率更高，这可能导致早逝风险增加。本研究报告了在 20 年期间（1998-2018 年），一个大型基于社区的自闭症谱系障碍青少年和成人队列（ = 406）的死亡率、死亡时间和死亡原因，并确定了死亡的预测因素。在此期间，有 6.4%的人在平均 39 岁时死亡。死亡原因包括慢性疾病（如癌症和心脏病）、事故（如食物噎住和意外中毒）以及药物副作用引起的健康并发症。即使在控制了年龄和健康状况后，死亡率的显著预测因素仍是儿童早期社会互惠障碍的严重程度和研究开始时的严重功能障碍。研究结果表明，在整个生命周期中，社交参与和功能自理的重要性，以及自闭症谱系障碍患者获得充分医疗保健的重要性。
