ADHD and methylphenidate treatment in children linked to obesity in adulthood: JAMA study
The study is the first to highlight the association between MPH therapy and obesity risk.
Children with ADHD, especially those receiving methylphenidate therapy, have an increased risk of obesity and overweight as young adults, a study in JAMA Network Open has found.
Children and adolescents with ADHD who received methylphenidate (MPH) therapy had a 60% greater risk of obesity or overweight when aged 20-25 compared with matched controls, the researchers from Korea University and Seoul National University concluded.
A BMI of 25 or more for males and 23 or more for females was considered obese or overweight.
The study showed that, on average, patients diagnosed with ADHD as children had a 1kg/m² higher BMI as adults compared with controls, based on national health data from 34,850 South Korean youths.
