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Patients with ASD had an increased risk of suicide attempts compared with those without ASD. ASD was an independent risk factor of attempted suicide. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying pathophysiology between ASD and suicidality and to elucidate whether prompt intervention for ASD may reduce this risk.

OBJECTIVEStudies have suggested the association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM)-related risk factors, such as obesity and dyslipidemia. However, the association between ASD and type 2 DM remains unknown. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for enrolling 6,122 adolescents and young adults with ASD and 24,488 age-and sex-matched control subjects between 2002 and 2009 and monitored them until the end of 2011. Participants who developed type 2 DM during the follow-up period were identified. RESULTS Adolescents (hazard ratio CONCLUSIONSAdolescents and young adults with ASD were more likely to develop type 2 DM during the follow-up. In addition, those with ASD using atypical antipsychotics exhibited a high risk. Therefore, further research is necessary to investigate the common pathophysiology of ASD and type 2 DM.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social cognition, interaction, and communication as well as by repetitive behavior and restricted interests (1-3). Population reports have revealed a consistent and significant rise in ASD prevalence worldwide of ;0.6-0.7%; the latest large-scale studies have estimated a 1-2% increase (1-3). Males are 2 to 3 times more likely to be affected by ASD than are females, indicating the crucial role of sex-linked factors at the genetic, endocrine, epigenetic, and environmental levels in the pathophysiology of ASD (1-3). However, the precise etiology of ASD remains unclear.