Adults suffering from ADHD can cross one fear off their lists: the fear of an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that the medications for ADHD did not cause heart associated health risks for adults taking them.
ADHD medications and risks
People who have been diagnosed with ADHD are often prescribed stimulants to help them combat the negative effects of the mental health issue. As the numbers of people taking these medications rose, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began to receive complaints that ADHD sufferers were experiencing heart attacks and strokes at an increased rate. After several reported incidents, the FDA began requiring stimulant manufacturers to include a warning on their packaging telling patients of the potential risks the medications may cause.
However, until now there has been no proof that ADHD medications actually cause the increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Researchers decided to explore the data and see if an actual link existed. The study, which was funded and partly overseen by the FDA and other federal health agencies, sought out to explore a possible connection between the reported incidents and the medications.
The study
According to CNN, the researchers analyzed the medical and pharmacy records of 443,198 people between the ages of 25 and 64. Of those that were analyzed, one-third had filled prescriptions for ADHD medications. After controlling for factors that would also increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, such as smoking or low exercise, the researchers found no connection between the medications and these health problems.
However, despite these results, researchers say they were not able to truly conclude if the risk was null. The study only followed patients for 16 months, which may have caused them to miss more long-term effects from the medications. A longer study would be needed to see if taking the medications for several years could increase a person's risk.
"That's not a very long time for looking at cardiovascular risk, because cardiovascular risk extends over many years," says Robert Myerburg, M.D., a professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Still good news for ADHD sufferers
Despite the limitations of the study, some researchers are still calling the findings good news for patients. Philip Shaw, M.D., an ADHD researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, called the study "very reassuring" for people who worry that their medications may increase their risks.
Future studies on this topic will have to follow patients for longer time frames in order to fully see if there is a link between ADHD medications and heart attack and strokes. Until then, however, people who still worry should consult with their doctors to discuss their personal risk factors before stopping or starting any medication.
Join the Conversation