A significant number of individuals taking medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be at risk of serious heart complications due to a lack of mandatory cardiac screening, according to the charity Cardiac Risk In The Young. The warning comes amidst a dramatic increase in ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions for stimulant medications, which can elevate heart rate and blood pressure.
The charity has highlighted that many patients starting ADHD medication may have undiagnosed heart defects, a condition that affects approximately one in 300 people. This concern was amplified following an inquest that linked the stimulant ADHD medication Elvanse (lisdexamfetamine) to the sudden death of 28-year-old Jacob Wooderson. Elvanse was listed as a cause of his death, six months after his ADHD diagnosis and shortly after his dosage was increased.
Coroner Sarah Bourke had urged the government to launch an inquiry into the safety of Elvanse, which is increasingly prescribed by the NHS. However, no such inquiry has been initiated. Cardiac Risk In The Young advocates for all ADHD patients to undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a test recording the heart's electrical activity – before commencing medication.
"The vast majority of people with heart defects do not know they have one until something goes wrong," stated Dr. Steven Cox, chief executive of Cardiac Risk In The Young. He explained that ADHD medications can impact the heart, posing a particular danger to individuals with underlying, unknown cardiac issues. As prescriptions for these drugs climb, a larger population is exposed to these potential risks, making a simple ECG screening a