Life expectancy

Post Reply New Topic

From what I've read:

The average life expectancy for people with ASD is 36 years.

Research shows that people who are lonely and have no families have significantly shorter life spans.

Obesity significantly shortens life spans.

So, loneliness and obesity each can shorten a person's life expectancy by 15 years. Combined that makes 30. The average life expectancy in the US is 70 years.

70-30=40

I'm turning 40 this year.

At this point, even if I do finally get my life together, I'll already be on my death bed. So what's the f**king point?! !!

Source

I wonder what the average age on WP is

I don't know about the average age. I know we have some people in their sixties, but we also have many NTs who are here for their ND relatives.

Normally loneliness affects elderly people negatively. People are more resilient when they're young, and 36 is exaggerating slightly. Unless one commits suicide, which is more common in younger people than the elderly.

People like me never become elderly.

I don't want cancer.

Yeah, autism shortens life by quite a bit, even the high-functioning. Chronic stress from sensory overload, life and uncertainty will do that one, along with any synaptic problems leading to those neurotransmission issues. I'd figure 50s will be the average age for the high-functioning. Bodies will just burn out quicker.

At least I'll find peace a little sooner, and my other stuff will likely speed that one up as I'm a ball of adrenaline. There's not much else but loneliness and feelings of regret, remorse and guilt on my side of life (love being that one good one), so I don't really care too much. My hopes and wishes usually don't come true. The one I look after, my mother, will go before then, so the timeline works out.

I might become a private military contractor when my mother goes and hopefully catch a lethal round in combat, which my mother understands.

So autism is a disease.

im 50 this year so im at the end of my life now then

First time I'm hearing this. Where'd ya find it?

In any case, I highly doubt it. Lots of autistic people go diagnosed or get a diagnosis well past that age. There are lots of people older than that on WP, in fact there's probably more people over than under that here. I also know lots of autistic people above that age in real life. Also, the average where? Even if it were true in some country, in some other it could be double that.

Yes my first thought was "Where? In Somalia?" But it has some basis in fact apparently. Looks like deaths in early childhood might be skewing the average down somewhat.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... m-disorder

Two recent studies will undoubtedly shock individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These studies show a much earlier age of death in those with ASD as compared with the general population.

One study, published in the American Journal of Public Health in April 2017, finds the life expectancy in the United States of those with ASD to be 36 years old as compared to 72 years old for the general population. They note that those with ASD are 40 times more likely to die from various injuries. About 28 percent of those with ASD die of an injury. Most of these are suffocation, asphyxiation, and drowning. The risk of drowning peaks at about 5 to 7 years old. As 50 percent of those with ASD wander, water safety and swim lessons are a must. GPS trackers are also available for purchase should a child wander or get lost. This makes finding the child or adult much easier and faster.

The other study was published by the British Journal of Psychiatry in January 2018. This was a Swedish study showing similar results but elaborating on other causes of death as well. This study showed a life expectancy in those with ASD with a cognitive disability (or a learning disability) at 39.5 years versus 70 years for the general population studied. Those with ASD without a learning disability had an average age of death at about 58 years. The leading causes of death in those with ASD in this large study were heart disease, suicide, and epilepsy. The suicide rate among those with ASD was 9 times higher than the general population. There have only recently been studies showing the increased risk of suicide in those with autism spectrum disorder. Future studies will help us to understand what causes this increased suicide risk so that we can help to fight it. It should also be noted that 20-40 percent of those with ASD have seizures compared to 1 percent of the general population, causing this increased risk of death by seizures.

1. Joseph Guan, Guohua Li. Injury mortality in individuals with autism. American Journal of Public Health. April 2017
2. Tatja Hirvikoski et al. Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry. Jan 2018

Some unpleasant reading, even for those with ASD and normal intelligence.

Personally, even though I'm not overweight at all, I think I'll get nailed by a heart attack at about 55 to 60.

I'm 61, and I just ran three miles. And I had "classic autism" which turned into a sort of "Aspergers."

Enough with this BS about autism, Asperger's, and life expectancy. It's pure garbage!

What's not taken into account: many people with autism have co-morbid genetic or chromosomal conditions which reduce life expectancy. I highly doubt more than a handful of people here on WP has one of those conditions.

There is no correlation between autism and obesity.

There have been posters identifying as autistic who have been in their 80s.

There's one prominent poster now who is in his 70s.

I'm 61.

Quick! Someone notify all the universities, journals, and PhDs involved in these studies that Kraftie said they're all wrong.

Then in Aspie years you must be 107.


If autism has all these physical features and autoimmune diseases and short life expectancy then wouldn't it be easier to diagnose?