Life expectancy and causes of death in people with autism
Mortality in Autism
This project looks at how often people with autism die and why by comparing Medicaid beneficiaries with and without autism across ages, sexes, and racial groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166496 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers will analyze Medicaid enrollment and death records to compare age- and sex-specific mortality rates for people with and without autism. They will examine causes of death and test whether factors like intellectual disability, gender, and race or ethnicity change the risk. The work covers children, adolescents, and adults using large administrative datasets to produce detailed, cause-specific estimates. Results are intended to highlight groups at highest risk and inform prevention efforts and policy changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for being represented in this research are people with autism who are enrolled in U.S. Medicaid (including CHIP) across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
Not a fit: People not covered by Medicaid, living outside the U.S., or whose records are absent from administrative databases may not be included or benefit directly from this analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific causes and high-risk groups so clinicians and policymakers can target programs to reduce preventable deaths among people with autism.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown reduced life expectancy in autism, but large, detailed Medicaid-based analyses of age-, sex-, cause-, and race-specific risks are limited, so this work both builds on and expands existing evidence.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Guohua — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Li, Guohua
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.