Adults diagnosed with ADHD have shorter life expectancy, UK study shows | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
The first study of its kind has revealed that men diagnosed with ADHD die on average seven years faster than other people without it, while the life expectancy gap for women is almost nine years.
ADHD can cause difficulties concentrating and problems with impulsivity, although people with ADHD don’t necessarily have both. While estimates vary, studies suggest that 3-4% of adults worldwide suffer from ADHD.
Now researchers have revealed that people diagnosed with the disorder tend to have shorter lives.
Professor Joshua Stott, one of the senior authors of the research from University College London, said: “For this group of people, they have a significant reduction in life expectancy, which is worrying.”
While a previous study suggested people with ADHD Life expectancy was lowerThis was not based on registered deaths.
In contrast, the new study used primary care data from more than 9 million adults across the UK, from 2000 to 2019, to explore whether ADHD is indeed associated with a shorter life.
In particular, the team looked at the records of 30,039 adults diagnosed with ADHD, and compared them with 300,390 participants who were not diagnosed, but who were similar in terms of age, gender, and primary care practice.
The results revealed that men diagnosed with ADHD had a shorter life expectancy on average than those without it, while females with ADHD had a shorter life expectancy. by 8.6 years on average than those without it.
While Stott added that ADHD was unlikely to be the direct cause of the lower life expectancy, he said there were a number of possible explanations for the findings, noting that people with ADHD were more likely to have health problems. mental health and may face more difficulties in accessing services. The health care they need, while lifestyle factors can also play a role.
“We know that people with ADHD have higher rates of suicide unfortunately,” Stott said. “They are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking and likely overeating as well.”
Stott added that the life expectancy numbers only apply if the status quo for people with ADHD doesn’t change.
However, the team cautioned that the study may overestimate the gap in life expectancy for people with ADHD overall – as adults diagnosed may be more likely to have either mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions or Both – while the reasons for the association between ADHD and shorter lives require further research.
the study, Published in the British Journal of PsychiatryIt also raises concerns about underdiagnosis of ADHD, as the authors note that only 0.32% of adults in the study were diagnosed. This represents about one in nine of the likely true number of people with ADHD based on population surveys, they said.
Oliver Howes, professor of molecular psychiatry at King’s College London, who was not involved in the work, said the study showed the significant impact ADHD has on people’s lives, and how few people with ADHD receive a diagnosis, although Although he cautioned that the study did not do that. It does not look at when ADHD was diagnosed, its relationship to other medical problems, or the effect of treatment.
“These findings highlight the need for more investment in mental health services so people can get the help they need,” he said.
