No Excess Risk for Cardiac Events with ADHD Medications in Adults

More than 1.5 million U.S. adults use stimulant medications, mostly to combat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Anecdotal reports have suggested elevated risk for sudden cardiac death in children who take stimulants, but studies in both adults and children have yielded inconsistent results. In a retrospective cohort study derived from four population-based databases, researchers assessed this risk in about 150,000 adults (age range, 25–64) who were current users of methylphenidate (Ritalin and others; 45%), amphetamine (Adderall and others; 44%), atomoxetine (Strattera; 8%), and pemoline (Cylert; 3%); these patients were matched with about 293,000 nonusers.

During a median follow-up of 1.3 years, 2228 acute adverse cardiovascu…