Autism and the Heart

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

This week I’d like to focus on the impact of autism on a specific organ of the body- the heart.

People with autism are at an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes etc. The risk of developing atherosclerotic heart disease in particular (where plaques clog up the blood vessels in the heart causing failure) is an estimated 47% higher in autists. Furthermore, there appears to be a link wherein people born with congenital heart disease (where the heart is not structured properly at birth) are 33% more likely to receive an autism diagnosis in later life.

Fun stuff…

So why autism? Why are there links to heart diseases?

One of the most plausible theories suggests that prolonged activation of the fight or flight response system (autonomic nervous system) in autists in response to stressors may be negatively impacting the heart. We all know that stress is bad, but as I’ve previously discussed, biological stress in autists tends to persist following a stressful situation when compared with their neurotypical peers, damaging the heart over time.

In terms of the link to congenital heart disease, researchers believe that alterations in blood flow to the brain caused by defects in the heart may predispose the brain to injury and developmental delays both in utero and in the postnatal period. These flow changes are thought to cause damage to white matter fibers which act like a train network connecting the brain. As a result, damage to this system could be negatively impacting learning and behaviour.

In addition to the links to heart diseases, alterations in heart systems may also be contributing to autistic symptoms. One theory suggests that alterations in the normal functioning of the fight or flight system may be contributing to a number of autistic behaviours such as meltdowns. Researchers have also noted that autists tend to have lower variability in their heart rate compared with their neurotypical peers. Higher variations in heart rate tend to indicate a more relaxed body where the rest and digest system (parasympathetic nervous system) is more active, but lower variability has been linked to difficulties recognizing emotions and social cues in addition to intellectual issues.

So the heart is seemingly far more connected to autism than we might have realised!

Prolonged periods of stress may indeed damage the heart, but with successful interventions, autists can better navigate life’s stressors. As with all disease risk, just because there is an increased risk, does not mean that it will manifest, but we should all be looking after our hearts- neurotypical and neurodivergents alike. It’s the only one we’ve got 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend 🙂

Aoife