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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is associated with a shorter life expectancy and a higher risk of mental health problems, according to a new study of more than 30,000 people with the disorder worldwide. United Kingdom.
The life expectancy of men with ADHD was reduced by 4 1/2 years to nine years, while that of women was reduced by 6 1/2 years to 11 years, according to the study published Thursday in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
“Although many people with ADHD live long, healthy lives, our finding that they live shorter lives on average than they should indicates unmet needs for support,” said the lead author of the study. study, Dr Liz O’Nions, honorary research fellow in clinical, education and health psychology at University College London, in a press release. “It is crucial that we discover the reasons for premature deaths so that we can develop strategies to prevent them in the future. »
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly diagnosed in childhood but often persists into adulthood. People with ADHD have imbalanced neurotransmitters, including dopamine. It is a key neurotransmitter in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, necessary to help us with our executive functions and self-regulation skills, which involve planning, focusing and maintaining attention, remembering instructions and performing multiple tasks.
People with ADHD may feel restless or have trouble concentrating, staying organized, managing their time or prioritizing, concentrating, or controlling their impulses. These symptoms can affect all areas of life.
In the UK, at least 3-4% of adults have ADHD, with the prevalence in children estimated to be at least 4%. But it’s possible that many more people are going undiagnosed, which could mean the gap in life expectancy found by the study authors could be overestimated, they said.
The new findings confirm those of recent research, such as a 2022 study that found a higher risk of premature death among people with ADHD or autism in the United States and Europe. But the current study, to the authors’ knowledge, is the first to use mortality data to employ the life table method: a statistical technique for analyzing mortality rates and the probabilities of survival or death at different age intervals.
The research team examined primary care data from 30,029 adults with ADHD and compared them to nearly 300,400 participants who did not have ADHD but were matched on age, gender and practice of ADHD. primary care.
In addition to differences in life expectancy, the analysis also found that ADHD was linked to a higher risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide and disorder. personality. Autism, intellectual disabilities, harmful habits such as smoking or “potentially harmful alcohol use” and physical health problems including diabetes or high cholesterol were also more common in this group.
The study is “striking” but relies on observational data which inevitably leaves many important questions unanswered since a cause and effect relationship cannot be fully established, Dr Kevin McConway, professor emeritus of applied statistics at the Open University of England. , said in a press release. He was not involved in the research.
“What can be done about this?” It depends on whether the reductions in average life expectancy are caused (in one way or another) by ADHD, and if so, how they are caused,” McConway said.
In the UK, treatment for ADHD and accompanying conditions is lacking, particularly for adults, as recognition of ADHD in adults is still evolving, experts said. This insufficiency could partly explain the differences in life expectancy.
But there may also be “certain factors that arise before birth or early in life that could separately affect a person’s risk of being later diagnosed with ADHD” and dying earlier than usual, said McConway. These could be genetic or environmental. Additionally, the authors did not have or control for details on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors that can affect life expectancy.
Researchers also could not determine “when ADHD was diagnosed in relation to other medical problems or the impact of treatment,” said Dr. Oliver Howes, professor of molecular psychiatry at King’s College London. , in a press release. Howes was not involved in the study.
However, “things like differences in smoking, alcohol use and several health conditions are likely to be consequences of ADHD, to a large extent,” McConway said — meaning these Vices and conditions could explain how ADHD might affect mortality rates or lead to shorter life expectancy.
Details about the causes of the study participants’ premature deaths were also not available to the researchers.
People with ADHD “have many strengths and can thrive with the right support and treatment,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Josh Stott, professor of aging and clinical psychology at the University College London, in a press release.
Subject matter experts said addressing the problem of premature mortality among people with ADHD begins with health care providers, who should routinely collect details about behavioral and medical conditions and health outcomes related to ADHD. disorder. This can help providers and patients manage risk factors and avoid treatment delays.
Some organizations have resources explaining how people with ADHD can increase their likelihood of engaging in tasks, habits or activities that can help improve their quality of life and life expectancy, including exercise, good nutrition, dental care and sleep hygiene.
Mental health professionals specializing in ADHD can help patients develop coping skills for any symptoms that may lead to distress or other consequences that may negatively affect their lives.
They can also discuss whether ADHD medications are helpful. A study of nearly 150,000 Swedes with ADHD, published in March 2024, found that medication use was associated with a 19% decreased risk of mortality within two years of diagnosis.