Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention.
Stimulant drugs can increase blood pressure and heart rate and it could be dangerous for children suffering from ADHD. Such children are more prone to sudden cardiac arrest that can cause the heart to stop pumping blood through the body.
The advice marks the first time a medical-guidelines body in the U.S. has urged wide use of an electrocardiogram, which charts electrical activity in the heart, to screen a presumed healthy population for abnormalities.
An ECG measures the heart's electrical activity and can often identify heart rhythm abnormalities such as those that can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Victoria L. Vetter, head of the statement writing committee and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia said in a press release, "After ADHD is diagnosed, but before therapy with a stimulant or other medication is begun, we suggest that an ECG be added to the pre-treatment evaluation to increase the likelihood of identifying cardiac conditions that may place the child at risk for sudden death.'
Stimulant drugs, like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta, are given to children with ADHD stay focused and control their behavior. The medications already carry warnings of possible heart risks in those with heart defects or other heart problems.
The results of this research were published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.
