ADHDDrugs and the Heart
The attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) interferes with thefunctioning of the brain. About 11% of school- aged children areaffected by this disorder (Inglis et al., 2016). Boys aremore prone to the disorder compared to girls. Kids affected arehyperactive and act without thinking. Many puzzles have beendeveloped about the drugs used to control the disease. According toresearch carried out in Tennessee, California, and Washington State,you have one less thing to worry about if your child is being treatedfor the disorder. The study provided reassuring evidence that drugsused to treat (ADHD) do not lead to an increase in the occurrence ofheart disease. It was confirmed by the fact that only about threeout of 100,000 children were diagnosed with heart problems(Modesto-Lowe et al., 2014). In my view, through propertreatment, hyperactive children can successfully manage thecondition. However, doctors should take these results into accountwhen putting a child on medication. Despite the fact that medicationdoes not cause increased heartbeat, children with existing cardiacproblems might be affected by the drugs. Children under thismedication should be monitored to curb any potential risk ofirregular heart rhythm. In addition, health specialist should alsoaccount for the benefits and risk involved in children with a pasthistory of cardiac disease. This is due to the fact that the nervoussystem is stimulated by Ritalin (Parker, 2013). Take a moment andlook at the methods used to evaluate data in the research.Statistical methods and assumptions were used to evaluate the data.The motive behind this strategy was to challenge their own findingsso as to provide an accurate reassurance to the parents. Moreover,the geographic area surveyed was vast and a culturally diverse groupwas used to draw information (Inglis et al., 2016). This madethe research more evident that it was accurate.
Though these drugs are not associated with the cardiovasculardisorder, to some extent these drugs may cause heart diseases(Lieberman et al, 2015). This is proven by the fact thatchildren are susceptible within their first few months on medication.The risk is highest within the first three days of medication. Inaddition, behavioral therapies and providing support are remediesemphasized in treating ADHD. This enables the child to perform betterat school and also a more satisfying relationship is established. Insummary results from this research indicate that medication does notlead to heart problems or sudden death.
In addition, Canada and the United States had earlier on raised somepossibility that stimulants drugs increased cardiac risk. TheAmerican Heart Association came up with the idea that it would bebetter for children diagnosed with ADHD to have an electrocardiogram(Glauser et al., 2013). This ideology was opposed by the mainAcademy of pediatrics. The academy believed that sudden death andcardiac problems were rare in ADHD patients. According to resultsfrom this academy, such deaths occur in only two children per everymillion. In fact, this figure was lower compared to the sudden deathsthat occur in a general pediatric population. Medical journals inEngland support the anti-ECG testing, propelled by the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics (AAP) (Lieberman et al., 2015). Otherinstitutions such as The American Academy of Child and AdolescentPsychiatry (AACAP) advocates that routine laboratory andpsychological testing should not be carried out unless a symptom inthe child medical history shows the need to carry out this test.
Another study involving more vulnerable pediatric patientsacknowledged that there was no significant increase in the rate ofheart diseases. The study was funded by U.S to study the effects ofthe stimulants. The vulnerable population had a high risk ofcongenital heart defects and was on medication of stimulant drugs(Glauser et al., 2013). The participants of the study weredrawn from U.S children who qualified for public health cover. Thecover provided coverage the minorities such as the low-incomeearners, a more susceptible group when weighed against the childrenunder private care cover. The provisions of the study confirmed thesafety of the nervous system. The analyzed data also showed only asmall proportion was associated with an increase in cardiovasculardisorders. The previous findings were supported by this researchthat the drugs did not lead to an abnormal cardiac event in children.Additionally, other studies involving adults, analyst examinedmedical records of 150,359 adults who took stimulants to controlattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Modesto-Lowe et al.,2015). The result from the analysis was compared to the earlier twocontrols and no significant difference was noted in the rate of heartattacks or sudden death.
In conclusion, research has shown that stimulants do not lead to anincrease in cardiac disorders. Heart attack or sudden deaths wererare among all children. Records from both the private and publicinsurance plans were analyzed to ensure that the results werecomprehensive and accurate. Doctors should always carry outcomprehensive check up for a child believed to have ADHD.
References
Glauser, T. A., Cnaan, A., Shinnar, S., Hirtz, D. G., Dlugos, D.,Masur, D., … & Adamson, P. C. (2013). Ethosuximide, valproicacid, and lamotrigine in childhood absence epilepsy. New EnglandJournal of Medicine, 362(9), 790-799.
Inglis, S. K., Carucci, S., Garas, P., Häge, A., Banaschewski, T.,Buitelaar, J. K., … & Liddle, E. (2016). Prospectiveobservational study protocol to investigate long-term adverse effectsof methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: theAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects(ADDUCE) study. BMJ open, 6(4), e010433.
Lieberman, J. A., Stroup, T. S., McEvoy, J. P., Swartz, M. S.,Rosenheck, R. A., Perkins, D. O., … & Severe, J. (2015).Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronicschizophrenia. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(12),1209-1223.
Modesto-Lowe, V., Chaplin, M., Godsay, V., & Soovajian, V.(2014). Parenting Teens With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderChallenges and Opportunities. Clinical pediatrics,0009922814540984.
Parker, C. (2013). Pharmacological treatments for ADHD. Progressin Neurology and Psychiatry, 17(4), 11-20.