- A new study finds that people with ADHD who are treated with medication are at a 19% lower risk of death compared to people with untreated ADHD.
- The findings suggest that ADHD medication may be life-saving due to multiple psychiatric comorbidities associated with ADHD, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
- Nearly 10% of children and teens in the United States live with ADHD, which requires careful diagnosis and may present differently in males and females.
- A recent shortage of ADHD medications has complicated ADHD treatment.
A new study finds that people treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with medication are at a lower risk of non-natural death compared to people with untreated ADHD.
The observational study was conducted in Sweden and tracked the health of 148,578 individuals with ADHD. Of these people, 41.3% were female. The median age of those included in the study was 17.4 years, and the overall age range was 6 to 64. Each individual was followed for two years after diagnosis.
The researchers recorded all-cause deaths, as well as deaths from non-natural causes associated with ADHD, such as accidents, suicide, accidental poisoning, or drug overdose.
The findings show that people who are pharmacologically treated for ADHD had a 19% lower risk of death over the two years they were tracked than people whose ADHD was not being treated.
The study was recently published in
Dr. Nikunj Gokani, a psychiatrist with Allo Health, not involved in the study, told Medical News Today:
“This study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of ADHD medication in reducing mortality risks, particularly in preventing deaths from accidents, poisoning, and suicide. The large sample size, longitudinal design, and emulation of a randomized clinical trial lend credibility to the findings.”
ADHD is most commonly treated with the stimulants Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine) and Ritalin (methylphenidate).
Dr. Gokani explained such stimulants…
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