Prevalence of Dementia Among US Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Studies on the prevalence of dementia in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have yielded mixed findings, with small sample sizes precluding conclusive inference. One strategy to circumvent this issue is the examination of the nationwide prevalence of dementia among enrollees in public insurance, relied upon by diverse groups of more than 25 million (Medicaid enrollees) and 65 million (Medicare enrollees) older Americans in 2021. Research on Medicaid enrollees1 indicated a higher dementia prevalence in enrollees with ASD compared with other Medicaid beneficiaries. A Medicare claims study2 documented a 4-fold increase of cognitive disorders diagnoses in beneficiaries with ASD compared with general Medicare population estimates. A limitation to date is the lack of research including linked Medicare and Medicaid data.