title: Excess mortality and causes of death in autism spectrum disorders: a follow up of the 1980s Utah/UCLA autism epidemiologic study.
abstract: This study's purpose was to investigate mortality among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ascertained during a 1980s statewide autism prevalence study (n = 305) in relation to controls. Twenty-nine of these individuals (9.5 %) died by the time of follow up, representing a hazard rate ratio of 9.9 (95 % CI 5.7-17.2) in relation to population controls. Death certificates identified respiratory, cardiac, and epileptic events as the most common causes of death. The elevated mortality risk associated with ASD in the study cohort appeared related to the presence of comorbid medical conditions and intellectual disability rather than ASD itself suggesting the importance of coordinated medical care for this high risk sub-population of individuals with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, 650 Komas Drive, Suite 206, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA. deborah.bilder@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bilder
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Botts
authors.forename: Ken R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farley
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viskochil
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ritvo
authors.forename: Riva-Ariella
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ritvo
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000401:mortality*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014589:Utah / Q000453:epidemiology