December 12, 2011
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By Amanda Gardner
MONDAY, December 12, 2011 (Health.com) — The million-plus U.S. adults who take medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not appear to be increasing their risk of heart attack or stroke, as some experts have feared, according to a new study published today on the website of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Stimulant medications—a class that includes Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and their generic versions—and the non-stimulant drug Strattera have all been shown to slightly raise blood pressure and heart rate, which can contribute to heart problems. Read More
November 1, 2011
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) — Medications commonly used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder don’t appear to raise the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in children and young adults, new research shows.
And if any increased risk from stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta does exist, the danger in absolute numbers would be extremely low, said Dr. William O. Cooper, lead author of a study published online Nov. 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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October 25, 2011
TUESDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) — Training parents in how to manage children’s problem behaviors can improve the conduct of preschool children with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new report.
The researchers also found insufficient evidence to support the use of ADHD medications in children younger than 6 years of age, but two drugs are generally safe and effective for older children.
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May 9, 2011
MONDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) — Some adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also experience excessive emotional reactions to everyday situations, a combination that appears to run in families.
That’s the finding of a Massachusetts General Hospital study that included 83 participants — 23 with ADHD alone, 27 with ADHD plus deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR), 33 with neither condition — plus their siblings.
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April 19, 2011
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) — The risk that children will develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rises with every week they are born short of full term, a new study suggests.
Earlier studies have shown an association between a too-early birth and the increased risk for ADHD. This study adds to that data by looking at the risk based on how preterm the delivery is, the Swedish researchers say.
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January 19, 2011
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) — Adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a more than threefold increased risk of developing a common form of degenerative dementia called dementia with lewy bodies (DLB), a new study says.
“Lewy bodies” — abnormal clumps of protein deposits that develop inside nerve cells and disrupt brain functioning — are found in people with Parkinson’s disease and some other neurological disorders.
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September 17, 2010
By Madonna Behen
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) — More and more children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who act out aggressively are being given antipsychotic drugs in addition to stimulant medications to help control their volatile outbursts.
It’s a trend that many parents and child mental health professionals find worrisome.
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August 27, 2010
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) — While attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a real and pervasive condition, new research suggests there is a cluster of kids and adults who successfully fake the condition either to get drugs or gain special privileges in school.
“People who want to fake ADHD could be able to do a good job of faking on a number of standard clinical instruments that are used to diagnose ADHD,” said David Berry, senior author of the report appearing in the current issue of Psychological Assessment. Obviously, health-care professionals need to be concerned, he said, adding that “our evidence suggests [fakers] are pretty good at it if they want to be.”
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August 24, 2010
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) — Adding therapy to the medications an adult might be taking for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could lessen symptoms and improve quality of life, new research suggests.
After one year, patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy along with their medications quelled persistent symptoms better than using drugs plus relaxation exercises.
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May 17, 2010
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By Sarah Klein
MONDAY, May 17, 2010 (Health.com) — Children exposed to higher levels of a type of pesticide found in trace amounts on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children with less exposure, a nationwide study suggests. Read More
