Study links ADHD drugs to puberty problems in boys

Keeping the dose of stimulant medication as low as possible in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may counteract their slower rate of physical development, according to the authors of a new study published in this week’s MJA. Adolescent boys who take stimulant medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for more than three years are likely to be slimmer and shorter than their peers, a new study has found.

The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, examined data on 65 boys aged between 12 and 16 years who had ADHD and had been on stimulant medication for more than three years.

Growth and pubertal development of adolescent boys on stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Alison S Poulton, Elaine Melzer, Paul R Tait, Sarah P Garnett, Chris T Cowell, Louise A Baur and Simon Clarke
Med J Aust 2013; 198 (1): 29-32.