ADHD meds do not cause heart problems for adults

Young and middle aged adults taking meds for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) don’t need to worry about an increased rate of cardiovascular failure. Incidences of sudden cardiac death, heart attack or stroke do not occur more frequently for people trying to control their ADHD symptoms through medication according to new research published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Between 2001 and 2010 prescriptions for treatment of ADHD increased more rapidly for adults than for children. Most of the medications prescribed for this purpose increase heart rate and blood pressure so concerns about long term health consequences have been growing.

Laurel A. Habel, PhD, and team gathered data from four computerized health records at four different sites starting as early as 1986. The participants were aged 25 to 64 and had been taking various ADHD medications including amphetamines, atomoxetine or methylphenidate. Each participant was matched to two control subjects who all shared similar site location, sex, birth date, and calendar year from the records.

While there were 1,357 heart stacks, 296 sudden cardiac deaths, and 575 strokes, they found no statistically significant difference in risk between the users and non-users of medications to treat ADHD. “We also found little support for an increased risk for any specific medication or with longer duration of current use. Results were similar when users were restricted to new users. Rate ratios did not appear to be influenced by prior cardiovascular disease or by prior non-ADHD psychiatric conditions,” according to the report.

Results were also no different for one-off users, short term or long term users. There was a slight difference between new users and non-users.

Source: JAMA, MedicalNewsToday