People with autism have a much higher risk of developing dementia, a major new study has found.
Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have linked this rapidly growing condition to a four to eight times higher risk of memory loss disorders compared to the general population.
The authors reviewed two studies: A 2019 study Research on ASD and Dementia in Adults with Autism on Medicare and 2021 study A study of the incidence of early-onset dementia in adults with ASD on Medicaid.
They analyzed data from 114,600 people aged 30 and older who received a diagnosis of ASD and ASD and another intellectual disability (ID) from 2008 to 2017.
According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. have autism, and that number is rapidly increasing, but past research has found that autism ) and known association with dementia.
Overall, this review found that a dementia diagnosis was present in 8 percent of people with a previous diagnosis of ASD and almost 9 percent of people with ASD and another ID.
By 2022, 4% of all adults aged 65 and older will have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease dementia The disease is the most common form of dementia, with approximately 7 million Americans diagnosed.
2025 review It was also found that the probability of being diagnosed with dementia increases with age.
Among people aged 65 and older, 35% in the ASD-only group and 31% in the ASD and other ID group had dementia.
The researchers acknowledged that the wide range of data was a limitation of their study and said more research was needed.
Additionally, they write: “Our data highlight the importance of health policy efforts to address the growing ASD population at risk of or affected by dementia. .”
“Future research will address factors that may contribute to the co-occurrence of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions, such as barriers to access to educational and social opportunities and biological mechanisms of common pathophysiology. I need it.”
Separately, a 2019 study found that women with autism were 8.5 times more likely to have some form of cognitive illness, including dementia, than women without ASD.
Men with this condition were also 8.2% more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment, including delirium, amnesia, and other cognitive impairments.
However, these researchers acknowledged that other studies have found that older adults with autism are equally or less likely to experience age-related cognitive changes, and the methodology used and He said the discrepancy exists because the groups of people studied varied in age, which was a major factor. to cognitive impairment.
In a 2021 study, researchers found that the prevalence of dementia among adults with only ASD was 4%, compared to 5% among adults with both ASD and other IDs. , found that the prevalence of dementia in people without ASD or ID was 1%.
Researchers don’t know why the two conditions are linked, but a 2021 study found that factors that cause both dementia and ASD, including common genetic mutations, have “potential potential.” He said there may be “duplication.”
Dementia drugs have also been observed to have a deteriorating effect on cognitive and communication functions in adults with ASD, which may point to a common cause.
Moreover, another 2021 study found that many genes and proteins are associated with both ASD and Alzheimer’s disease, and that the two conditions share multiple symptoms, including insomnia, decreased neuromuscular function, and dementia. did.
Data shows autism diagnoses have skyrocketed in the United States over the past decade, and dementia diagnoses are expected to rise as well. Seven million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to double by 2030.
Generally, most people with ASD are diagnosed by age 5, but some can be tested as young as 2 years old, and dementia most commonly occurs in older adults.
A recent analysis of millions of health records across all age groups found that autism diagnoses increased by 175% between 2011 and 2022, from 2.3 to 6.3 per 1,000 people.
Young adults aged 26 to 34 saw the biggest increase, with an increase of 450%, but children aged 5 to 8 are still most likely to be diagnosed at a rate of 30 per 1,000. .
Experts don’t know what causes this condition, but recent research suggests that environmental factors such as pollution, illness during pregnancy, or older parents may be to blame.
Improved screening, increased awareness, and expanded diagnostic criteria may also be driving the surge in autism.
There is no cure for either condition, but medications, treatments, and therapies are available to manage symptoms.
