People on ADHD medication may not increase heart risk as previously thought
Parents who have children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can save money on medical bills by purchasing prescriptions through a Canadian internet pharmacy.
Parents who have children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can save money on medical bills by purchasing prescriptions through a Canadian internet pharmacy. Although drugs such as Strattera are thought to increase young people's risks for heart conditions, new research suggests that may not be the case.
Doctors from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reviewed the medical records of more than 1.2 million individuals, aged 2 to 24 years, who were diagnosed with ADHD, a condition in which patients are overactive and have poor attention spans or lack of impulse control. The researchers compared patients taking medications such as Strattera, Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta to those who were not.
Results, collected from people treated between 1998 and 2005, demonstrated that three out of every 100,000 patients had a serious heart problem. However, there were no differences in cardiovascular risks between those taking ADHD medications and everyone else, as published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
"It should be reassuring that we found no evidence that these drugs increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events on a population basis," said author William Cooper, M.D., MPH. "However, each child is unique, so families and providers need to work together to make informed decisions about the best options for their children."
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