ADHD drug 'Ritalin' found to put children at risk of heart disease

 Known by the generic name methylphenidate, the ADHD drug Ritalin is among the most commonly prescribed ADHD drug for children.
A new research is now saying that the drug might cause heart problems in the kids it’s supposed to be treating.

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a medical condition that affects how well someone can sit still, focus, and pay attention. People with ADHD have differences in the parts of their brains that control attention and activity. This means that they may have trouble focusing on some tasks and subjects.

According to a Health report, the ADHD drug may increase the risk of an arrhythmia (heart attack) in healthy young people not long after they begin treatment, per data from a new study. The risk of heart issues in ADHD kids taking the drug is also reportedly fairly substantial when compared to kids not taking the drug.

Children taking the drug (which is also sold under the brand names Daytrana, and Concerta) had a 61 percent increased risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms, according to the study.

Despite the increased risk, most of the children who take the common ADHD drug will not experience heart problems, according to the study’s senior author, Nicole Pratt at the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Center at the University of South Australia.

The study also did not definitively prove that the ADHD drug is the direct cause of the irregular heartbeat sometimes seen in child patients who take it. However, the relation to heart problems and taking the drug definitely appeared visible.

The researchers also emphasised that the children most at risk from the amphetamine-like ADHD drug are those who already have a congenital heart disease. In those children, the risk of additional heart problems while taking the ADHD drug jumps up threefold.


Doctors are being encouraged to consider these new findings when they prescribe the ADHD drug to children, says Pratt.

The ADHD drug Ritalin is known to be a central nervous system stimulant, and concerns have been raised repeatedly in the past that the use of such ADHD drugs could compromise the cardiovascular system in children.

Like other stimulants, the ADHD drug can and does impact heart rate, rhythm, and overall health. This is according to Dr. Kabir Bhasin, the director of clinical education for cardiac electrophysiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.