No Correlation Between ADHD Medications and Serious Cardiac Events

　　Risk for serious adverse cardiovascular events in children and young adults was similar among current users, nonusers, and former users of ADHD drugs.

　　Reports of serious adverse cardiac events associated with stimulant medication use in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have led to considerable controversy about the safety of ADHD medications. Three FDA advisory committees recommended black box warnings for stimulants, and the American Heart Association stated that obtaining electrocardiograms (ECGs) was "reasonable" in children who were starting ADHD stimulant treatment (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Apr 30 2008). However, because data supporting the use of ECG for screening is limited, several pediatric organizations recommended that ECGs should be used at the discretion of clinicians. To address uncertainty among clinicians who treat children and youth with ADHD, researchers conducted a retrospective study of computerized health records from four U.S. health plans with 1.2 million children and young adult enrollees (age range, 2–24 years).

　　During more than 2.5 million person-years of follow-up (mean follow-up, 2 years), including approximately 375,000 person-years of current ADHD drug use (stimulants and nonstimulants), 81 patients (3.1 per 100,000 person-years) experienced serious cardiac events (cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction, or stroke). Risk for serious cardiovascular events among current users of ADHD drugs was not significantly different from risk among nonusers (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75) or risk among former users (AHR, 0.70).

Related Link: //www.nurftech.com/detail/172823.html