A research study based on the analysis of genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people has identified previously hidden genetic links between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and several cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. These findings, published in the prestigious scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry, help explain why people with autism have a higher risk of developing physical health problems throughout their lives.
D’esquerra a dreta, Elisabet Vilella, Maria Guardiola-Ripoll i Gerard Muntané
The study was carried out by researchers from the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV), in collaboration with the University of Oslo, and with the participation of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV).
The results show that some of the same genetic factors that influence autism are also involved in metabolic disorders, such as weight gain and diabetes, and in the same direction. This suggests that there are shared biological mechanisms linking mental health and physical health. However, when cardiovascular health factors such as blood pressure are analysed, the relationship is more complex. In these cases, the same genetic factors may have opposite effects, suggesting that different and still poorly understood mechanisms are involved.
Researchers have also identified more than one hundred regions of the genome involved in these connections, opening up new ways to better understand how the brain and the body interact.
“More and more evidence shows that mental health and physical health cannot be understood separately, and this type of study brings us closer to more personalised medicine that takes into account all the factors influencing people’s health,” says Gerard Muntané, first author of the article.
Experts highlight that these results could help, in the future, to detect physical health risks in people with autism earlier and to design more effective prevention strategies.
Article reference
Muntané, G., Shadrin, A., Guardiola-Ripoll, M., O’Connell, K. S., Frei, O., Naerland, T., Vilella, E., & Andreassen, O. A. (2026). Genetic overlap and shared risk loci between autism spectrum disorder and cardiometabolic traits. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03563-x
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