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ADHD May Raise Odds for Premature Death
Risk is small, but a sign the disorder is a serious problem, experts say
For the study, Dalsgaard and colleagues collected data on nearly 2 million people included in a large Danish registry who were followed from their first birthday to 2013. Maximum follow-up was 32 years.
More than 32,000 of the people had ADHD. Over the years, 107 people with ADHD died. They were about twice as likely to die prematurely as people without the disorder, even after the researchers took into account factors such as sex, family history of mental problems and parents' age and education.
Accidents were responsible for more than half of the 72 deaths for which there was a known cause.
The risk of dying prematurely rose along with age at ADHD diagnosis. People diagnosed at age 18 or older were more than four times as likely to die early, compared with those without the condition. In contrast, children diagnosed before age 6 had about double the risk of dying prematurely, compared with those without ADHD, researchers say.
In addition, girls and women with ADHD had a higher risk of an early death, compared with boys and men with the condition, the study team found.
Research has shown that ADHD often occurs with other behavioral problems, Dalsgaard said. These can include a substance use disorder, oppositional defiant disorder (a pattern of angry/irritable mood and defiant behavior) or conduct disorder (disruptive and violent behavior and problems following rules), he said.
When ADHD was combined with all three disorders, the odds for premature death were more than eight times higher than for people without ADHD or a co-existing behavioral disorder, the researchers noted.
"ADHD has huge impacts on everyday life, and people with ADHD and their families deserve that this is acknowledged," Dalsgaard said.
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