People with severe intellectual disabilities are dying an average of 24 years earlier than people without disabilities.

Researchers at King’s College in London looked at the deaths of over one thousand adults with significant intellectual disabilities between 2021 and 2023. They found that the median age of death was 58, compared with 82 for their peers. About 40% of the deaths were considered avoidable.

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Pneumonia and epilepsy were the leading causes of avoidable deaths, followed by conditions that affect blood flow to the brain.

The study also found a racial gap. People with more significant intellectual disabilities from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds died around 14 years earlier than white people in the same group.

“A gap of this size is not inevitable,” said Professor André Strydom of King’s College London. “It reflects how consistently our health and care systems are, or are not, reaching people with the most complex needs.”

The study shows why regular checkups, prevention, early treatment and accessible healthcare matter. Including people with IDD in healthcare and research can also help improve care in the future.

This article includes information from Kings College and The Guardian.