No link between cardiovascular events and ADHD drugs

Scientists have found that children and adolescents taking medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are no more likely to suffer from cardiovascular events.

The observational study was performed by scientists and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and HealthCore and followed recent concerns that the drugs could increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

Researchers recorded incidences of death through cardiovascular events at a rate of 1.79 per 10,000 person-years in children and adolescents taking drugs for ADHD and incidences of 3.00 per 10,000 person-years in the control group.

Senior author Dr Sean Hennessy, an associate professor of Epidemiology at Penn, said that the findings provide reassurance that risks are not any higher in users of ADHD medications.

"If ADHD medications were causing an epidemic of cardiovascular events, we would expect to see it in this study," he explained.

"This is one of first answers but it won't be the last," Dr Hennessey added.

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is recognised as one of the US's top ten facilities.