Study Reports Increased Risk of Death With ADHD Drug Use

A new study concludes that children prescribed stimulant medications to treat attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder may be at risk of suffering sudden unexplained death. The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Food and Drug Administration, is the first to connect the use of these drugs, such as Ritalin, with sudden death in children. Physicians have speculated about this connection because stimulants can  increase heart rates and effect cardiovascular systems in children. However, sudden death in children using these drugs is rare, affecting  fewer than 1 in 10, 000 in the United States. (6/16) Washington Post