People with autism or ADHD are more likely to die early, review says

Having autism or ADHD can come with a host of problems, one of which might be a higher risk of dying earlier than normal, according to a new review. Experts explain why this finding is possible.

Several previous studies have suggested these neurodevelopmental disorders might be linked with a higher risk of premature death, but findings were inconsistent, according to a new meta-analysis, or review of data from many previous studies, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The meta-analysis examined 27 studies that were based in North America and Europe and published between 1988 and 2021, amounting to more than 642,000 participants.

The new research found that early mortality -- which, in the meta-analysis, was usually death in childhood or by midlife -- from natural and unnatural causes was more than two times more likely for both people with autism and those with ADHD than for the general population, said the review's lead author Ferrán Catalá-López, via email. Natural causes included cardiac events and seizures; unnatural causes included unintentional injuries, suicide and homicide.