The risk of premature death was higher among individuals with tic disorders (mortality rate ratio, 2.02) and with Tourette syndrome (mortality rate ratio, 1.63) compared with controls, according to a recent study. To date, few studies have investigated mortality risk in individuals with tic disorders. Researchers measured the risk of premature death in individuals with tic disorders and with Tourette syndrome in a prospective, nationwide, cohort study with 80 million person-years of follow-up. They estimated mortality rate ratios and adjusted for calendar year, age, sex, urbanicity, maternal and paternal age, and psychiatric disorders to compare individuals with and without tic disorders They found:

• After the exclusion of individuals with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance abuse, tic disorder remained associated with increased mortality risk, as did Tourette syndrome.
• These results are of clinical significance for clinicians and advocacy organizations.