Former UK Health Secretary and over diagnosis

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After decade of diet an exercise I now have an hourglass figure. 30B-24-34 inches, 5ft2in, 102 lbs. I grew out my hair so it reaches the middle of my back. I shop in 2 inch heeled booties or platforms. Some of it has to be genetic as many CIS women have great difficulty in their quest to have an hourglass figure--or at least the thin waist part.

Fortunately I live in a place where transgenders are reasonably well accepted in both legal rights and by my friends and neighbors.

Some 89 to 97 per cent of autistic adults aged over the age of 40 are undiagnosed in the United Kingdom, the largest report of its kind has found.

While autism is now commonly recognised and diagnosed in childhood, many older adults grew up without the same awareness or assessments available today, leaving them to navigate middle and later life without the support that a diagnosis can bring.

The review, published this week in the Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, found that older autistic adults consistently face higher rates of physical and mental health conditions, as well as challenges around employment, relationships and life events such as menopause and retirement.

Dr Gavin Stewart, co-lead of the Re: Spect Lab at King’s College London and lead author of the review, told Euronews Health:

“Autism in older age is often overlooked. Over the past decade or so, there’s been rapid interest in what happens to autistic people as they age”

The hidden health risks of autism in adults
The review collated evidence showing that middle-aged and older autistic adults have higher rates of immune diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety and depression. They are also more likely to develop conditions typically linked with ageing, such as Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis.

Some of the findings are particularly alarming. Data showed that older adults with high autistic traits are six times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and four times more likely to be diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

Life expectancy was also found to be lower: autistic people in the UK live to an average age of 75 compared to 81 for non-autistic people. The authors caution, however, that these figures may be skewed by high levels of underdiagnosis.

"Part of this may be genetic, since many conditions share common genetic factors. But a large part comes from external challenges: stigma, barriers to education and employment, social isolation, and even difficulties accessing physical exercise," Stewart explained.

"All of these create a knock-on effect that worsens both mental and physical health”.

Calls for better support
Research into ageing in autistic populations has increased almost fourfold since 2012, but just 0.4 per cent of all autism research since 1980 has focused on people in midlife or older age.

Stewart warned that more investment is urgently needed in support and services.

“The support offerings are a really important area that needs a lot more research. We need to know what kind of support people want, how best to implement it, and how to make sure people aren’t falling through the cracks – whether that’s healthcare access or wider issues like social isolation".

He added that there’s also a big piece of work needed around awareness and identifying undiagnosed autistic people.

"If we’re looking at around 90 per cent of people over 40 being undiagnosed, that’s a huge population not getting the support they need," Stewart said