People with neurodiversity, particularly autism and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), may be more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) at younger ages, with particularly high prevalence of neurodiversity observed among individuals diagnosed with T2D before the age of 20, finds an analysis of patient data being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (September 28–October 2.
With prevalences of ADHD and autism among those aged under 20 years reaching as high as 14% and 5%, respectively, the authors underscore the importance of considering the needs of neurodivergent people when planning clinical services and support for those with early-onset T2D.
"Health systems are failing to fully meet the needs of people living with both early-onset T2D and neurodiversity, both of which are linked to poorer health outcomes," said lead author Dr Jonathan Goldney from the University of Leicester Diabetes Research Centre and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Leicester UK. "Neurodivergent people and those living with early-onset T2D are likely to face unique challenges when navigating busy healthcare environments, communicating with healthcare professionals, and managing their diabetes.
"Providing healthcare for T2D in a suitable way for neurodivergent individuals is critical to making healthcare more accessible for everyone, particularly as more people are being diagnosed with T2D earlier in life."
Rates of early-onset T2D, defined as diagnosis before the age of 40, are rising and are associated with poorer health outcomes. Challenges engaging with healthcare and the burden of managing diabetes can be compounded by stigma and the competing demands of early adulthood. Being diagnosed with T2D at a younger age also means a longer lifetime exposure to the condition, increasing the risk of serious complications and early death.
To better understand this growing and under-served population, researchers examined the prevalence of neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia) among 4.2 million individuals newly diagnosed with T2D from the TriNetX US collaborative network [1] between March 2006 and March 2026, who were grouped by age at diagnosis into 10-year age bands.
Each 10-year age group was then matched by age, year of birth, sex, ethnicity and race to 17.1 million individuals without T2D, to account for demographic differences between those with and without T2D. In total, 3.4 million matched pairs aged younger than 80 years were included in the analysis.
