Oct 26, 2026 · 19 min · 8 segments
We prescribe ADHD medications to help with focus and impulsivity, but what happens when someone stays on them for years? Today, we're digging into new research that links long-term ADHD medication use…
Joshua FederHost
Mara GovermanHost
They focused on cardiovascular outcomes such as hypertension, arterial disease, arrhythmias, strokes, and heart attacks.
They compared over 10,000 people who developed cardiovascular disease with matched controls who didn't, adjusting for a whole range of things, psychiatric comorbidities, diabetes, obesity, even socioeconomic factors.
And the findings? Each year of ADHD medication use bumped up cardiovascular risk by 4%.
By year five, stimulant users had a 25% increase in risk compared to those not on ADHD medications.
They found an adjusted odds ratio of 1.72 for those on medications three to five years and 1.80 after five years.
People on higher doses, over 1.5 times the defined daily dose, like more than 45 milligrams of methylphenidate, had greater cardiovascular risk.
And it was really interesting, non-stimulants like adamoxetine and guafacine had a lower risk profile, especially early on.
Okay, let's talk about what this means clinically, because we're not looking at a massive spike in risk, but it's enough to make you pause and think, especially if someone's already got cardiovascular concerns.
They focused on cardiovascular outcomes such as hypertension, arterial disease, arrhythmias, strokes, and heart attacks.
They compared over 10,000 people who developed cardiovascular disease with matched controls who didn't, adjusting for a whole range of things, psychiatric comorbidities, diabetes, obesity, even socioeconomic factors.
And the findings? Each year of ADHD medication use bumped up cardiovascular risk by 4%.
By year five, stimulant users had a 25% increase in risk compared to those not on ADHD medications.
They found an adjusted odds ratio of 1.72 for those on medications three to five years and 1.80 after five years.
People on higher doses, over 1.5 times the defined daily dose, like more than 45 milligrams of methylphenidate, had greater cardiovascular risk.
And it was really interesting, non-stimulants like adamoxetine and guafacine had a lower risk profile, especially early on.
Okay, let's talk about what this means clinically, because we're not looking at a massive spike in risk, but it's enough to make you pause and think, especially if someone's already got cardiovascular concerns.
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