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Epilepsy and suicide have been identified as the main causes why people with autism are dying more than 16 years than the general population, according to research by Karolinska Institute.

The Swedish study looked at the health records of 27,000 autistic adults and used 2.7 million people as a control sample for the general population and found that those with autism and an associated learning disability had an average age of death being 39, which was 30 years earlier than the average for general population, BBC reported. 

The Swedish study also suggested that people with autism, who were not held back by any intellectual disability, died on average 12 years younger, at 58 years old rather than 70. Published  in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the study was carried out in Sweden.

A previous study has suggested that autistic women are more at risk of suicide than men and only half of autistic people who have considered suicide were categorised as depressed - although this latter point may be down to problems with communication in diagnosis.The research, which was published online in November 2015, was carried out by Dr Tatja Hirvikoski, who described her findings as "shocking and disheartening" and she said there was an "urgent need for increased knowledge".

The charity,  Autistica, noted that the new findings support previous ones that indicate that people with autism are at heightened risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, on top of  neurological conditions, such as epilepsy. They are also at risk of heart disease and diabetes.  

Autistica now wants to raise £10m over the next five years to enable more research into the condition to exactly explain the link between autism and epilepsy.

In the UK it is estimated 1% of the population - or 700,000 people - have autism and it causes difficulties in how they communicate and relate to others. On the other hand, there are more than 3.5 million Americans who have this condition, Web MD reported.  

Around a quarter of people with autism speak very few or no words, while statistically only 15% go on to find full-time employment. Almost three-quarters of people have at least one associated mental health condition, while 40% have two, the charity pointed out. Autistica also wants the government to carry out a national autism mortality review.