Quoted from http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN1520804220090615?rpc=44
US FDA questions heart risk findings on ADHD drugs
Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:01pm EDT
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - A study that found possible heart risks for healthy children who took attention deficit drugs had limitations and should not prompt parents to stop giving the medications, U.S. health officials said on Monday.
The study, published on Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found use of stimulant medications that treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be associated with rare cases of sudden death in children.
"Because of the study's limitations, parents should not stop a child's stimulant medication based on the study," the Food and Drug Administration, which partly funded the research, said in a statement.
Millions of people take ADHD drugs including Novartis AG's Ritalin and Shire PLC's Adderall and Vyvanse. Annual U.S. sales totaled about $4.8 billion in 2008, according to data from IMS Health.
Because the drugs can increase heart rate and blood pressure, there have been concerns for years that the medications may raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular problems.
