A large study led by the University of Southampton has found that medications used to treat ADHD cause only small changes in blood pressure and heart rate after several weeks or months of use.
While there have been concerns about the side effects of these drugs, the study suggests that the benefits of taking ADHD medication outweigh the risks—especially when people are carefully monitored.
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, is the biggest and most detailed look yet at how ADHD medications affect the heart and blood pressure. It was based on results from randomized controlled trials, which are considered the gold standard for testing how well and how safely medicines work.
Professor Samuele Cortese, the study’s senior lead author, explained that whenever someone takes medicine, the benefits and risks should be considered together. The study found that for most children taking ADHD medications, there was only a small rise in blood pressure and pulse.
Other studies have also shown that these medications can reduce the risk of early death and help with school performance, even though they may slightly increase the chance of developing high blood pressure. Overall, the findings are reassur…
ADHD affects about 4% of children in the UK, and around 45% of those are treated with medicine. The research team included experts from the UK, Brazil, and France. They reviewed data from 102 randomized trials with over 22,000 people who have ADHD.
They used a special statistical method called network meta-analysis, which allowed them to compare several medications at once—even when some of those drugs weren’t directly compared in individual trials.
The team found that most ADHD medications slightly raised blood pressure, heart rate, and ECG readings. An exception was guanfacine, which actually lowered these numbers.
There were no major differences between stimulant drugs like methylphenidate and amphetamine and non-stimulant drugs like atomoxetine and viloxazine when it came to heart and blood pressure effects.
Dr. Luis Farhat, the first author of the study, said that these results should help guide future medical advice and treatment guidelines.
He emphasized that both types of ADHD medications—stimulants and non-stimulants—can affect heart health, so doctors should regularly check blood pressure and heart rate when treating patients.
The researchers also noted that anyone with an existing heart condition should talk to a heart specialist before starting ADHD medications.
Professor Alexis Revet, a co-senior author, added that the trials used in the study were short due to ethical limits, and the results should be supported by longer-term studies from everyday life.
The team now plans to explore whether certain groups of people may be more likely to experience stronger side effects.
Professor Cortese said that while the results apply to most people, there could be a small group with a higher risk of more serious heart changes. He hopes that future research using precision medicine will help identify those individuals.
For more information about ADHD, please see recent studies about Nutrition’s role in managing ADHD: what you need to know and results showing that Food additives and ADHD: what parents should know.
If you care about ADHD, please read studies about 5 signs you have ADHD, not laziness, and new drug to reduce daydreaming, fatigue, and brain sluggishness in ADHD.
The study is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
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