No Heart Risk from ADHD Drugs

Adults who take drugs for attention deficit disorder do not appear to be at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. Medications such as Ritalin or Adderall are stimulants. They can raise blood pressure and increase heart rate so experts have been concerned that such medications might increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. The official prescribing information from the FDA warns that, “Sudden death, stroke, and myocardial infarction have been reported in adults taking stimulant drugs at usual doses for ADHD.
Now a new study has laid those fears to rest. The researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 440,000 adults who received medical care from large HMOs or Medicaid. The subjects were age 25 through 64, and approximately 150,000 of them took prescription pills for ADHD. Statistical evaluation revealed no difference in heart attacks, strokes or deaths between those taking ADHD medicines and those who never took them. With more than 800,000 person-years covered in the study, the scientists are reasonably confident that such drugs do not pose unusual heart risks.

[JAMA, online, Dec. 12, 2011]