Could ADHD medication be linked to lower death rates?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-03-13 02:00

International

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The initiation of ADHD medication could reduce death rates in those who need it, according to international researchers. The team looked at data from 148,578 people diagnosed with ADHD in Sweden, and found the initial dispensation of ADHD medication was associated with a lower rate of death from unnatural causes. While the study can’t show cause-and-effect, the team says the reduction may be due to the medication alleviating some of ADHD’s psychiatric symptoms, improving impulse control and decision-making, which overall may reduce fatal events such as accidental poisoning, accidents, substance use, and criminality.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Funder: This study was supported by grants 2019-01172, 2022-01111 from the Swedish Research Council for Health,Working Life, and Welfare and 965381 from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The sponsors had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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