How can I tell if

QI AM in my 50s and have only just begun to wonder if I might be autistic. I have difficulty talking to people – even my own parents. I never know if I’m saying or doing the right thing.

APEOPLE with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) find social interactions, communications and also imagination difficult.

The condition has been around for centuries – many believe that Mozart and Einstein, for example, had ASD – but it is only since the late 1980s that there has been a gradual increase in awareness of autism and how it can affect people in different ways.

It has been estimated that at least one in 100 people in the UK have some form of ASD but many of these are adults who have never been diagnosed.

Many people feel they are different from others in the way they communicate and don’t quite fit in. Some have learned to live with this and don’t see having a formal diagnosis of autism as being helpful.

For others it can be a relief to know why they have difficulties and helpful for those close to them to understand why they act as they do.

The first step to getting a formal diagnosis is to talk to your GP but don’t do this as a “by the way” tagged on to a consultation about another issue. Rather, make an appointment where you can just talk about autism. If your GP agrees there is a possibility of you being autistic, then you should be referred to a specialist service, although there may be a long wait to be seen.

You may be asked to take someone with you to the assessment, ideally someone who has known you since you were a child, as they can add details that can be helpful.

Try contacting the National Autistic Society for more details about ASD and the diagnostic process. Call 0808 800 4104 or visit autism.org.uk. Q HOW do you lower your resting heart rate? A THERE is evidence that having a low resting heart rate is a sign of physical fitness, while a high rate is linked with a greater risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Your heart rate changes from minute to minute, depending on your activity levels. Caffeine can raise the rate, so the best time to measure your resting rate is first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. A healthy rate is between 60 and 90 beats per minute but in general it is better to aim to be at the lower end of this range.

The best way of lowering your resting rate is to take more exercise, on a regular basis, and if you can do 20 minutes brisk exercise a day (which makes you slightly out of breath) then after several weeks your pulse rate should gradually go down.

Losing weight and stopping smoking can also help. Being anxious can raise the production of adrenalin, which also increases your heart rate.

I AM an 85-year-old woman who up until a year ago was in very good health, playing tennis and golf and walking. Now I can no longer walk properly and feel very tired and heavy after walking less than 100 yards. Could this feeling be caused by having high cholesterol? I do suffer from this.

AFEELING tired and breathless during exercise can have many causes, including