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Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment and Cardiovascular Implications

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Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurobehavioral disorder afflicting adults worldwide. This article is an update on the evidence supporting medications for adult ADHD, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular implications. Relevant clinical literature was sought using PubMed searches, with an emphasis on new reports from April 2009 to April 2011. This review describes the efficacy and general tolerability of stimulant and nonstimulant medications for adults with ADHD as seen in contemporary clinical trials. Cardiovascular response to medications for ADHD is primarily seen in heart rate and blood pressure elevations, while less is known about the etiology of rare cardiovascular events or long-term sequelae. Further research is indicated to delineate clinical and functional outcomes for adults with ADHD, as well as long-term safety of medication treatment.

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Acknowledgment

Dr. Surman has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the Hilda and Preston Davis Foundation.

Disclosure

During the past 2 years, Dr. Hammerness has served on an advisory board for Shire; has received honoraria from Shire and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals; and has received grant support from Cephalon, Eli Lilly and Company, ElMindA, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, McNeil, Merck & Co., New River Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Shire, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

Dr. Surman has served as a consultant for Shire and McNeil Pharmaceutical and received research support from Shire, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, and McNeil Pharmaceutical.

Ashley Chilton reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Medical School, 185 Alewife Brook Parkway, Suite 2000, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Paul G. Hammerness, Craig B. H. Surman & Ashley Chilton

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  1. Paul G. Hammerness
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  2. Craig B. H. Surman
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  3. Ashley Chilton
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Correspondence to Paul G. Hammerness.

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Hammerness, P.G., Surman, C.B.H. & Chilton, A. Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment and Cardiovascular Implications. Curr Psychiatry Rep 13, 357–363 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-011-0213-3

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