Individuals with neurodivergent conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism are at elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) at an early age, according to data presented this week at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Italy.Why It’s Relevant
Early-onset diabetes is associated with a high risk of complications. Many young people find it difficult to manage this chronic condition due to increased stigma of having a disease generally associated with older adults and the competing demands of early adulthood. Understanding which individuals might be at increased risk of early-onset diabetes can inform prevention efforts and strategies to increase treatment engagement.
By the Numbers
- Making use of an extensive database of electronic medical records, researchers examined the prevalence of ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia among 3.4 million matched pairs of individuals, half with newly diagnosed T2D and half without.
- Individuals diagnosed with T2D before age 30 were significantly more likely to be neurodiverse than their matched peers without T2D.
- Among individuals diagnosed with T2D before age 20, the prevalences of ADHD and autism were 14.4% and 5.7%, respectively, compared with 6.9% and 1.8% among youth without T2D.
- Similarly, the prevalences of dyslexia and dyspraxia were 0.6% and 1.3%, respectively, among those diagnosed with T2D before age 20, compared with 0.3% and 0.4% among youth without T2D.
The Other Side
The researchers noted that because their study only looked at one point in time, they could not definitively attribute a cause-and-effect relationship between neurodiversity and diabetes. Further, young people with conditions such as autism have more frequent contact with health professionals, which increases the chance of an early diabetes diagnosis.
Takeaway Message
“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,” lead researcher Jonathan Goldney, MRCP(UK), of the University of Leicester Diabetes Research Centre, said in a news release. “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.”
Related Information
Source
Jonathan Goldney, et al. Age at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and neurodiversity: a cross-sectional analysis. Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Presented September 29, 2026.
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/stefanamer)
