Last week, the American Heart Association released a statement recommending that children with ADHD be given a heart test before they're prescribed any stimulant medication like Ritalin. The statement came after the AHA concluded a study which found that stimulant medication can increase cardiac risks in children with existing conditions.

"Pediatric cardiologist Darshak Sanghavi from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester said he doesn't fully agree with the AHA recommendation... '(With the AHA announcement) people have brought up this worry that ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall increase the risk of heart problems,' he said Thursday in a phone interview."

While Ritalin and Adderall won't cause heart problems, they can aggravate existing heart issues, which is why the AHA released its statement. Source: Sentinel and Enterprise

Labels: medications, heart_test, stimulants

Posted By: Aspen Education Group