Medication Treatment for ADHD Linked to Lower Two-Year Risk of Dying

People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who begin taking medications for the condition within three months of their diagnosis may have a lower risk of dying within two years compared with their peers who do not take ADHD medications, astudy inJAMA has found.Zheng Chang, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and colleagues examined data from 148,578 Swedish individuals aged 6 to 64 years who had an incident diagnosis of ADHD from 2007 through 2018 and no ADHD medication dispensation for at least 18 months prior to their diagnosis. They followed the patients from ADHD diagnosis for two years or until death, emigration, or December 31, 2020, whichever came first. The researchers categorized mortality into natural causes (that is, physical conditions) and unnatural causes (that is, suicide, accidental injuries, accidental poisoning, and other external injuries).Overall, 56.7% of the patients initiated ADHD medication. This was defined as receiving any of the six licensed ADHD medications (methylphenidate, amphetamine, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine, and guanfacine) within three months of diagnosis.The researchers found that patients who initiated ADHD medication had a 21% lower risk of dying of any cause and a 25% lower risk of dying from unnatural causes compared with patients who did not initiate ADHD medication.“ADHD medication may reduce the risk of unnatural-cause mortality by alleviating the core symptoms of ADHD and its psych...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder JAMA Karolinska Institutet medication mortality stimulants unnatural deaths Source Type: research