Researchers said the results of this world-first study were “very concerning”, while other experts said the research was “striking”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a shorter life expectancy than those who have not received such a diagnosis, according to a new study that some experts called “striking.”
According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), ADHD is a disorder characterized by agitation, difficulty concentrating and impulsive actions, and is most commonly diagnosed in children under 12 years old.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers compared more than 30,000 British adults with ADHD to more than 300,000 people without it.
The research was based on anonymous primary care records dating from between 2000 and 2019.
The study revealed that the men diagnosed with a ADHD had life expectancy reduced by 4.5 to 9 yearsand that the women with a ADHD had life expectancy reduced from 6.6 to 11 years compared to those who had not been diagnosed.
The study was published Thursday in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Deeply concerning
Josh Stott, lead author of the new study and professor of aging and clinical psychology at University College London, said it was “very concerning” that some adults with ADHD were “living shorter lives than they should.” “.
“People with ADHD have many strengths and can thrive with the right support and treatment. However, they often lack support and are more likely to face stressful life events and exclusion social, which has a negative impact on their health and self-esteem,” he said in a statement.
-The researchers cautioned that the ADHD in adults is often underdiagnosedso the study could overestimate reductions in life expectancy, adding that further research is needed.
Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University in the United Kingdom, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement that the research was “striking” but “leaves many questions important unanswered”.
“Even accounting for some statistical uncertainty, the estimated differences in life expectancy between people diagnosed and undiagnosed with ADHD are rather large,” he said, adding that the important question is to know what can be done about it.
It depends on whether ADHD is causing the reduced life expectancy, he added, noting that the study is observational and the “network of potentially interacting factors that could Being involved is certainly complicated.”
Support and treatment needed
Researchers said in the study that the reduction in life expectancy was likely due to “modifiable risk factors and unmet needs for support and treatment” for both ADHD and other disorders. other mental and physical disorders.
Philip Asherson, professor of molecular psychiatry at King’s College London, who was not involved in the study, added in a statement that while the precise causes of premature death are unknown, “ADHD is associated with higher rates of high levels of smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer, among other health problems.
“ADHD is increasingly recognized as a serious disorder in adults, associated with poor health outcomes,” he said, adding, however, that access to diagnosis and treatment was limited.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new study found, for example, that only one in 300 adults during the study period had been diagnosed with ADHD. That’s one in nine people “compared to the likely true number of people with ADHD” based on surveys, the researchers said.
“Until this problem is resolved, the shorter life expectancy demonstrated in this study will likely continue,” Asherson added.
