Diabetes mellitus in privately insured autistic adults in the United States.

Gilmore et al. (2024) looked at private insurance records of autistic adults in the United States. They compared how many had diabetes to adults without autism of the same age and sex.

The team used billing codes to spot diabetes cases. They checked records across most of adulthood, not just one age group.

Autistic adults were more likely to have diabetes at nearly every adult age. The gap stayed wide from the twenties through the sixties.

The study shows diabetes is a common, lifelong health risk for autistic people, not just a late-life problem.

Boudreau et al. (2015) already found autistic adults carry higher rates of almost every major medical condition. Daniel et al. zoom in on diabetes and confirm it is part of that bigger picture.

Tsai et al. (2023) tracked an entire country and saw autistic people die earlier from many causes. Higher diabetes prevalence helps explain some of that extra risk.

Drasgow et al. (2016) looked at Danish records and saw fewer circulatory diseases in autistic adults, seeming to clash with the U.S. diabetes rise. The gap is likely about how countries record illness: U.S. insurance claims catch more cases, Danish registries miss mild ones.

If you support autistic adults, plan for diabetes screens early and often. Build supports that fit autism: clear visual schedules for glucose checks, sensory-friendly lancets, and social stories about clinic visits. Work with medical teams so they understand autism communication styles. Catching diabetes sooner can prevent crises and hospital stays where, as Akobirshoev et al. (2020) show, autistic adults already face higher death risk.