It is very common for people with ADHD to have other psychiatric diagnoses or physical health problems. Among other things, ADHD has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, whether there is an association between ADHD itself and cardiovascular disease, and if so, which particular diseases have not received as much attention.
ADHD is an independent risk factor.
In a study conducted by Karolinska Institutet and Örebro University, researchers investigated the relationship between ADHD and approximately 20 cardiovascular diseases.
We saw that adults with ADHD were more likely to have at least one cardiovascular disease than those without ADHD, says Lin Lee in the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.
When we considered other well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the association weakened but remained significant. This indicates that ADHD is an independent risk factor for a wide range of cardiovascular diseases.
The finding is based on national data on more than five million adults. After a follow-up period of approximately 12 years on average, 38 percent of people with ADHD had at least one cardiovascular disease, while the corresponding figure for those without ADHD was only 24 percent. .
This is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
adhd, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderIt is a common neuropsychiatric diagnosis characterized by, among other things, difficulty concentrating and hyperactivity. An estimated 2.5 percent of adults in the world live with ADHD.
Source: Karolinska Institutet
Here the links are especially strong
In the study, researchers noted an increased risk for all types of cardiovascular disease. The association between ADHD and cardiovascular disease was particularly strong for cardiac arrest and stroke due to cerebral hemorrhage and vasoconstriction.
The association was somewhat stronger in men than in women.
In some psychiatric conditions, such as substance abuse problems, the risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly higher in people with ADHD. Treatment with central stimulant or other psychiatric medications, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, did not significantly alter the relationship.
Difficulty with causation
The researchers point out that it is difficult to establish a causal relationship with certainty. So it’s hard to argue that ADHD per se causes a greater risk of physical illness and other diagnoses, even if the connection is clear.
However, the study results are essential information for people with ADHD and for healthcare, according to the researchers.
For clinicians to treat, it is important to carefully examine lifestyle factors and psychiatric diagnoses that likely coexist in order to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in individuals with ADHD, says Henrik Larsson, professor at Örebro University and associate researcher at Karolinska Institutet.
He adds that more research looking at the potential biological mechanisms behind the links between ADHD and other diagnoses is desirable.
Read also: ADHD can make young women more sexually vulnerable
Scientific material:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease: a nationwide population cohort study(Lin Li, Zheng Zhang, Jianwei Sun, Miguel Garcia-Argibay, Iba de Ritz, Maja Dobrosavljevic, Isabel Brickell, Thomas Gerenberg, Marco Solmi, Samuel Cortez and Henrik Larsson), psychologisty.
Contact:
Lin Li
[email protected]
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