Health
Autism by the numbers: Experts share reasons for the dramatic surge in diagnoses
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Monday’s sweeping autism announcements have sparked deeper conversations about the widespread neurological disorder.
Health officials spoke during a press conference in Washington, D.C., about possible causes, vaccine guidance and the potential for a cancer drug to double as an autism therapy.
Autism diagnoses have been steadily rising in recent decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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“In the 1970s, autism was considered rare, perhaps 1 in 5,000 to 10,000 children,” Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., a physician-scientist and founder of Atossa Therapeutics in Seattle, Washington, told Fox News Digital.
In the year 2000, an estimated one in 150 children aged 8 had the disorder. By 2010, that number had risen to one in 68 — and by 2022, one in 31 children were diagnosed.
Autism diagnoses have been steadily rising in recent decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (iStock)
“Autism is no longer an uncommon condition tucked away in psychiatric textbooks,” said Quay. “It is part of the daily fabric of schools, clinics and families everywhere.”
Dr. Aggie Papazyan, a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorder, noted that autism prevalence has also increased globally.
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“These rates vary by region,” she told Fox News Digital. “In many places, especially in higher-income settings with more robust diagnostic and health resources, prevalence estimates have gone up.”
She added, “However, it’s important to note that how autism is measured makes a big difference.”
Awareness vs. epidemic
The CDC has noted that improved identification of autism could be part of the increase, but that other factors could also come into play.
Decades ago, many autistic people were “missed, misdiagnosed or labeled differently,” said Papazyan.
“There doesn’t seem to be a sudden surge in biological incidence.”
“Over time, as awareness has grown, diagnostic definitions expanded and screening became a bit more routine — so it’s not a surprise to see more autism diagnoses,” she said.
“The biggest misconception is that rising numbers mean autism itself is suddenly becoming more common,” the expert went on. “That’s scary to some people, but there’s no new autism ‘epidemic.’”
Experts say more funding is needed for early intervention programs, such as speech, occupational and behavioral therapies. (iStock)
Most of the increase, according to Papazyan, is due to earlier intervention, broader diagnostic criteria and improved access to services.
“There doesn’t seem to be a sudden surge in biological incidence,” she added. “There may still be a true rise, but it’s not as dramatic as many people want to think.”
Quay said it would be “naïve” to assume that the rise is due only to better detection, and said that environmental change also plays a role.
“Fifty years ago, many individuals on the spectrum were mislabeled — sometimes as intellectually disabled, sometimes as ‘eccentric’ or ‘odd,’ but I do not believe this accounts for the entire increase,” he said.
To counter the rising autism diagnoses, experts call for increasing awareness and acceptance while reducing stigma. (iStock)
“Environmental influences, from prenatal exposures to changes in maternal health to shifts in early childhood experiences, likely play some role.”
‘Urgent need’
To counter the rising autism diagnoses, Papazyan is calling for increasing awareness and acceptance while reducing stigma, as this affects how resources are allocated.
“Beyond that, we need to expand diagnostic and assessment services, especially in underserved communities, so that people are properly diagnosed and given the care they need,” she said.
Papazyan said more funding is also needed for early intervention programs, such as speech, occupational and behavioral therapies.
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The experts also agreed that support is needed for autistic people as they get older, including mental health services, financial assistance and life skills development.
“Interventions are needed that go beyond childhood, because autistic adults will spend most of their lives outside the school system, yet services for them are almost nonexistent,” said Quay.
“Fifty years ago, many individuals on the spectrum were mislabeled.”
Looking ahead, Papazyan predicts that autism prevalence will continue to increase over the next few years before it slows down and eventually hits a plateau.
Quay also expects that prevalence will continue to rise in the near term, largely due to improvements in detection and “societal willingness to diagnose.”
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“Whether there is a biological plateau remains to be seen,” he said. “If environmental contributors are identified and mitigated, we could see stabilization.”
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Stat of the week
More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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