An analysis by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute has linked neuro-developmental disorder autism to much shorter lifespan and the alarming sign is high risk of suicide among individuals suffering from autism spectrum disorder. People with autism die at a young age, some 12 to 30 years earlier compared to normal age for other individuals, as per the study.

Study researchers examining mortality trends among autistic individuals have found that major cause of death in adults with the condition isn’t a disease, but suicide. Detailed study results have been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

For the study, the researchers collected data on more than 27,000 adults who were with the social-communication disorder. They also included more than 2.5 million others who don’t have the diagnosis from Sweden’s national registries. What the researchers found was a troubling discovery. On an average, people with autism die 18 years younger than others, as per the study.

On an average, individuals with autism and a learning disability died about 30 years earlier, while the participants with intellectual impairment died just 12 years earlier, the researchers found. The mortality trends were similar for both males and females, as per the study. However, autistic females with learning disabilities were with the highest risk of premature death among any of the subgroups, the report added.

As per experts, social and biological are responsible for elevated risk of premature death. Researches conducted in the past have found an association between autism-causing genes and epilepsy, anxiety and mood disorders.

“Up to 40% of people with autism also suffer from epilepsy. People with autism may also differ from those in the general population by having a more restricted diet, limited access to exercise and increased use of medication”, as per the new study.

In the United States, cases of autism have been growing over the last few years. As per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 68 US children, the condition appears.