ADHD meds & puberty
January 21, 2013
A NEW study has linked medication
to treat attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with
a stunting in male puberty.
Published in the Medical Journal
of Australia, the study investigated
the growth and pubertal
attainment of boys with ADHD on
stimulant medication.
The longitudinal study compared
boys aged 12.00–15.99 years at
recruitment in 2005–2011 who had
stimulant treated ADHD for at least
three years, with longitudinal data
from 174 boys from the Nepean
longitudinal study (controls).
During the study, researchers
noted that, compared with the
controls, subjects aged 12.00–13.99
years had significantly lower weight
and body mass index (P < 0.01),
and those aged 14.00–15.99 years
had significantly lower height and
weight (P < 0.05).
In addition, at 12.00–13.99 years
of age, researchers noted that the
subjects were comparable to the
controls in their pubertal
development adjusted for age, but
those aged 14.00–15.99 years
reported significant delay; whilst
the dose of medication was
inversely correlated with the height
velocity from baseline to 14.00–
15.99 years of age.
“Prolonged treatment (more than
3 years) with stimulant medication
was associated with a slower rate of
physical development during puberty,”
the researchers concluded.
“To maintain adequate height
velocity during puberty, we
recommend keeping the dose as
low as possible,” the researchers
added.
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