Major study uncovers higher dementia rates in older adults

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A groundbreaking study involving 114,582 Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries revealed that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face significantly higher dementia rates compared to the general population.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed nationwide data from 2014-2016, focusing on individuals aged 30 and older. The findings showed that about 8% of people with ASD-only and nearly 9% of those with both ASD and intellectual disabilities received dementia diagnoses during the study period.

Numbers rose dramatically among those over age 64. In this age group, about 35% of individuals with ASD-only and 31% of those with both ASD and intellectual disabilities showed signs of dementia.

“Our data highlight the importance of health policy efforts for the growing ASD population at risk for or affected by dementia,” notes the research team from Drexel University. They emphasize that future research should examine factors contributing to this overlap between neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

While the researchers note this is the largest study to date examining dementia in adults with autism, they acknowledge limitations, including reliance on insurance claims data from 2014–2016 rather than clinical evaluations, the lack of a comparison group, and the absence of direct diagnostic assessments. However, previous research indicates approximately 90% accuracy between claims data and clinical diagnoses for ASD and dementia.

The research team examined two distinct groups: those with ASD only (46,877 individuals) and those with both ASD and intellectual disabilities (67,705 individuals). The study population was predominantly male (69.9%), with demographics showing 70.4% identifying as white, 16.3% as Black, and 7.02% as Hispanic or Latino. The researchers noted that these racial and ethnic differences were assessed to track disparities from previous reports and across diagnostic groups.

The study identified several factors that increased dementia risk, including cardiovascular conditions, depression and other psychiatric conditions.