Who is at risk
There are around 1.3 million people in England living with a LD which equates to a prevalence of around 0.6%. The main risk factors for LD are those which affect the development of the brain either before birth, during birth or in early childhood. This tends to be the result of non-modifiable risk factors e.g. random chromosomal abnormalities, unforeseen birthing complications, or rare childhood illnesses such as meningitis.LD are typically persistent throughout the life-course and hence there are no notable age-specific variations in prevalence.
Inequalities
- Health: People with LD have an increased prevalence of health issues linked to premature mortality e.g. diabetes, obesity, severe mental illness etc. As a result, there is a significant life expectancy gap of ~20 years between individuals with LD and the general population
- Ethnicity: There is a higher prevalence of LD amongst South Asian communities relative to the general population
- Deprivation: In the most deprived areas, one in every 165 people have a diagnosed LD, compared with one in every 272 people in the least deprived areas
- Gender: On average, men with LD can expect to live 3 years longer than women with LD. This is likely explained by the increased prevalence of co-morbidities amongst women with LD compared to men with LD