Chronic Health Conditions in Aging Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Life expectancy of people with intellectual disability (ID) has increased in recent decades. However, there is little evidence of whether these extra years of life are spent in good health. The aim of this study, conducted in Spain, is to obtain information about the prevalence of chronic health conditions in people with ID over the age of 44 and compare it with that of their peers without disability. Twenty health conditions were analyzed in 1040 people with ID and 12,172 people without ID through a study of their prevalence. The findings show that chronic constipation, urinary incontinence, thyroid disorders and obesity are the most prevalent chronic diseases among individuals with ID. In addition, this population group suffers these health conditions more frequently than older adults without ID. Detection and early intervention in these health conditions will improve adequate access to social health services and subsequent treatment of aging adults with ID.