Attention Deficit

In the wake of the deaths of 20+ children taking ADHD stimulant medication, the American Heart Association (AHA) cautioned this week that children should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram(EKG) before getting drugs like Ritalin to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that between 5% and 7% of children have ADHD. They speculate that about 2.5 million American children and 1.5 million adults take medication for ADHD to control behavior and increase focus.

Stimulant drugs like Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin, etc. are classified as schedule II drugs –the same category as cocaine. They can increase blood pressure and heart rate which is problematic for children with heart conditions. It could result in vulnerability to sudden cardiac arrest — an erratic heartbeat that causes the heart to stop pumping blood through the body — and other heart problems.

After review of these implications by the FDA, the FDA mandated that these medications carry warnings of possible heart risks in those with heart defects or other heart problems.

The AHA is now recommending children receive a thorough exam, including a family history and an EKG, before children are put on the ADHD drugs to insure that they don’t have any undiagnosed heart issues.

"We don’t want to keep children who have this from being treated. We want to do it as safely as possible." said Dr. Victoria Vetter, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and head of the committee making the recommendation.

AHA recommendations: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3055953
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3055974