The AP (5/14) reported that according to research scheduled for presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, adults with autism may be “much more likely than others to suffer from depression, high blood pressure, obesity and additional health woes that may partly result from their social isolation.” The study, which was “based on medical records for 2,100 adults with autism spectrum disorder” and medical records for 21,000 adults without autism, also revealed that adults with autism are “much less likely to smoke and drink alcohol.”
In a column in the San Francisco Chronicle (5/14), autism advocate and writer Laura Shumaker points out, “The study is one of the largest, most comprehensive efforts to examine the health of” adults with autism.
HealthDay (5/15, Salamon) reports that Paul Wang, MD, senior vice president and head of medical research, Autism Speaks, New York City, who was not involved in the study, said that autism is “not just a brain disorder – it’s really a disorder that affects the whole body. And this shows that these problems don’t go away.”
Related Links:
— “MANY HEALTH WOES COMMON IN AUTISTIC ADULTS: STUDY,” Associated Press, May 14, 2014.