ADHD Drug Medication Linked To Rising Risk Of Heart Rhythm Problem For Kids

Though the absolute risk is likely to be low, the researchers say the benefits of methylphenidate should be carefully weighed against the potential cardiovascular risks of these drugs in children and adolescents, according to reuters.com. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy. It is sold under various trade names, Ritalin being one of the most commonly known.

The cardiac safety of stimulants, which are known to slightly raise blood pressure and accelerate the heart rate, has been hotly debated. However the evidence is conflicting which led a team of researchers based in Australia, Canada and South Korea to set out to measure the cardiac safety of methylphenidate in children and young people with ADHD.

Using the South Korea National Health Insurance Database, they extracted data on 1,224 cardiac events from a population of 114,647 children and young people aged 17 or younger and those newly treated with methylphenidate at any time from 2008 to 2011.Cardiac events included heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), high blood pressure (hypertension), heart attacks (myocardial infarction), ischemic stroke, and heart failure.

Cases of arrhythmia were statistically significantly more likely to have occurred during the first two months of use compared with periods of non-use, and the risk was highest in the first three days of use.The risk was more pronounced in children with existing congenital heart disease.

No significant risk of myocardial infarction was observed, though risk increased after the first week of treatment and remained raised for the first two months of continuous treatment. No increased risk was observed for hypertension, ischemic stroke, or heart failure.

Methylphenidate exposure in children and young people with diagnosis of ADHD is associated with arrhythmia and potentially with myocardial infarction in specific time periods of use. With the increased use of drugs for ADHD globally, the benefits of methylphenidate should be carefully weighed against the potential cardiovascular risks of these drugs in children and adolescents.