Speaker 1: Already and this is the Daily This is the Daily
Speaker 1: oas oh, now it makes sense. Good morning and welcome
Speaker 1: to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday, the ninth of April.
Speaker 1: I'm Emma Gillespie.
Speaker 2: I'm Zara Zeidler.
Speaker 1: A new study out this week has found the overall
Speaker 1: benefits of taking ADHD medications outweigh the risks. The team
Speaker 1: of international researchers involved in the study took a close
Speaker 1: look at ADHD medications, both stimulant and non stimulants, and
Speaker 1: it comes off the back of growing concerns around the
Speaker 1: potential cardiovascular impact of these medications. In today's deep dive,
Speaker 1: we're going to unpack these findings and take a closer
Speaker 1: look at the world of ADHD treatment where things are
Speaker 1: out here in Australia as well as around the world.
Speaker 2: M I want to start by just providing a bit
Speaker 2: of a lay of the land. We have heard a
Speaker 2: lot about ADHD, both in the news, you know online.
Speaker 2: Can you just give us a bit of an understanding
Speaker 2: on what we need to know about ADHD?
Speaker 1: Yep So, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD is a neurodevelopmental
Speaker 1: condition and other examples of neurodevelopmental conditions include things like autism,
Speaker 1: spectrum disorder, dyslexia, motor disabilities like cerebral palsy. But what
Speaker 1: a neurodevelopmental condition really means is that a person with
Speaker 1: ADHD has a brain that has developed differently compared to
Speaker 1: a neurotypical person's, and that's because of how their nervous
Speaker 1: system has developed. So think of the nervous system like
Speaker 1: a network of cables. It sends messages to and from
Speaker 1: your brain to other parts of our body. A neurodevelopment
Speaker 1: refers to how these networks are formed during early brain development.
Speaker 1: When that development is disrupted, as it is for people
Speaker 1: with ADHD, we see a whole range of impacts on
Speaker 1: their daily lives, their ability to function, things like their
Speaker 1: communication behavior, emotional regulation, fine motor skills, cognitive function. These
Speaker 1: symptoms of ADHD do usually present in childhood, and that
Speaker 1: can manifest in things like difficulty concentrating or controlling impulses.
Speaker 1: But we do know it so much more than that.
Speaker 1: Of course, people with ADHD can also be extremely creative.
Speaker 1: They can be good problem solvers or extremely productive if
Speaker 1: they're in a hyper focus.
Speaker 3: So that's a very kind of top line ADHD.
Speaker 2: One oh one for you, okay, brilliant, And so before
Speaker 2: we deep dive into this study, I do think that
Speaker 2: it would be helpful to understand more of that scale
Speaker 2: point that I mentioned earlier. What are the numbers when
Speaker 2: it comes to ADHD.
Speaker 1: Yes, So there are around one point three million Australians
Speaker 1: estimated to be impacted by ADHD.
Speaker 3: That's about one in twenty of US.
Speaker 1: But it is a really hard number to determine because
Speaker 1: seeking a formal diagnosis is quite intense. It's a rigorous
Speaker 1: process that requires a thorough behavioral assessment by a psychiatrist.
Speaker 1: The irony being if you have ADHD, it might be
Speaker 1: especially difficult for you to seek that evaluation. Not to
Speaker 1: mention wait times and costs and things like that, but
Speaker 1: in terms of how diagnoses have increased, we can track
Speaker 1: that by looking at PBS data, so the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme,
Speaker 1: and that tells us the number of people being prescribed
Speaker 1: ADHD medications in Australia. So when we look at that data,
Speaker 1: we can see the number of Aussies who are taking
Speaker 1: medication to treat or manage the ADHD is around four
Speaker 1: hundred and seventy thousand people. So that's about thirty six
Speaker 1: percent of the population of people who have been diagnosed
Speaker 1: with ADHD in Australia, so more than one in three.
Speaker 1: But that figure has more than doubled in the five
Speaker 1: years to twenty twenty two.
Speaker 2: Interesting and what do we attribute that significant increase too.
Speaker 1: Yes, so there are a range of issues and many
Speaker 1: that will be debated. Medical experts though, have really emphasized
Speaker 1: that more diagnoses should not be taken for an actual
Speaker 1: increase in the prevalence of ADHD, but that this is
Speaker 1: a jump in a kind of a correction of decades
Speaker 1: of underdiagnoses, particularly of women. We know that the kind
Speaker 1: of diagnostic criteria for ADHD was designed around men young
Speaker 1: boys in particular, Women are socialized differently. There's a lot
Speaker 1: of kind of reasons for that underdiagnoses. But in August
Speaker 1: last year, the Australian Psychological Society President, doctor Katrina Davis
Speaker 1: McCabe said, quote, there's not necessarily a large influx of
Speaker 1: people who suddenly have ADHD, but there is an influx
Speaker 1: of people who are willing to present, she said, largely
Speaker 1: thanks to this growing awareness, including awareness online, but you
Speaker 1: know also within medicine, within schools and education, less stigma
Speaker 1: more conversation at a policy level. And also you know
Speaker 1: the demands of modern society and how they can expose
Speaker 1: impairments or can expose symptoms like ADHD.
Speaker 2: And so we have more people who are being diagnosed
Speaker 2: than ever before. What follows from a diagnosis we're talking
Speaker 2: today about treatments. What can you tell us about some
Speaker 2: of the treatments available to those who have ADHD.
Speaker 1: So one treatment option is medication, and ADHD medications fall
Speaker 1: into two categories, So there are stimulants and non stimulant medications,
Speaker 1: and in most cases medication for ADHD is only prescribed
Speaker 1: by psychiatrists, pediatricians and neurologists. Each state and territory in
Speaker 1: Australia does have different laws about prescribing ADHD medicines, but
Speaker 1: generally they are incredibly tightly regulated. So here in New
Speaker 1: South Wales, for example, a specialist has to obtain approval
Speaker 1: from this ste governments Ministry of Health to prescribe or
Speaker 1: supply stimulants for ADHD treatment to an individual, and there
Speaker 1: are also rules for pharmacies. In New South Wales they
Speaker 1: can't dispense a script for a stimulant for someone with
Speaker 1: ADHD unless that prescription shows an approval number issued by
Speaker 1: New South Wales Health, so lots of checks and balances there.
Speaker 1: I think it is important to note though, that when
Speaker 1: we're talking about the levels of dosage for ADHD treatment,
Speaker 1: there is no evidence that the use of stimulant medications
Speaker 1: leads to substance abuse or dependency. But there have been
Speaker 1: concerns about the safety of these medications surrounding their cardiovascular impacts,
Speaker 1: and that's exactly what has prompted this study that we're
Speaker 1: talking about today, which was led by the University of
Speaker 1: Southampton in the UK AT handed down its findings this week.
Speaker 2: So can you just explain a bit more about those
Speaker 2: concerns that prompted the study. You said it was around
Speaker 2: the cardiovascular health of the participants.
Speaker 3: Yep.
Speaker 1: The study notes that some ADHD medications stimulate the nervous system,
Speaker 1: some ADHD medications work by slowing it, and so this
Speaker 1: explains why some people will experience increases and decreases in
Speaker 1: things like their blood pressure their heart rate after they
Speaker 1: start taking treatment. So it's essentially those fluctuations in impulse
Speaker 1: and blood pressure that have the medical world asking how
Speaker 1: significant are those changes, what are the long term impacts
Speaker 1: of those fluctuations. What does that all mean for a
Speaker 1: person's health outcomes?
Speaker 2: And just quickly you mentioned there that there are different
Speaker 2: types of ADHD medications. Did this study specifically look at
Speaker 2: one medication form of medication or did it look at
Speaker 2: a range of them.
Speaker 1: So one of the interesting aspects of this study is
Speaker 1: that it was extremely comprehensive in that it studied the
Speaker 1: effects of several ADHD medications, including a range of stimulants
Speaker 1: like listex amphetamine and methyl fenodate are sold, for example,
Speaker 1: under brand names like Vivance and Riddlin, and non stimulants
Speaker 1: like atomoxetine and clonidine, which are sold under brand names
Speaker 1: you might have heard like Sandos and Catapress. And so
Speaker 1: what they did for this study is researchers analyzed data
Speaker 1: from nearly twenty three thousand participants from around the world
Speaker 1: from randomized controlled trials. Now, these are considered the most
Speaker 1: rigorous type of clinical study because they assess medication effects
Speaker 1: and compare the results of treated and non treated participants,
Speaker 1: so placebo participants. Also, interestingly, among that twenty three thousand
Speaker 1: participant number, nearly sixty percent were children and adolescents, and
Speaker 1: there was a fairly even gender split, a range of
Speaker 1: ages upwards of five years old, so a broad kind
Speaker 1: of set of participants and researchers tracked changes to the
Speaker 1: blood pressure and heart rate of these participants over a
Speaker 1: one year period. So the data set looked at outcomes
Speaker 1: around the twelve week, twenty six week, and fifty two
Speaker 1: week mark after they had started ADHD medication. It's actually
Speaker 1: the largest and most comprehensive analysis of its kind, and
Speaker 1: it was funded by the British government's National Institute for
Speaker 1: Health and Care Research.
Speaker 2: I am really curious that it was a one year study.
Speaker 2: I'd be really keen to understand, you know, whether they
Speaker 2: will be continued tracking after that one year period, Yeah,
Speaker 2: because perhaps some of the concerns might materialize after that
Speaker 2: one year period.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: And the study was really honest about a gap overall
Speaker 1: in this field of research when it comes to long
Speaker 1: term studies. So there are limitations on our overall understanding
Speaker 1: of these long term cardiovascular effects because the studies don't exist,
Speaker 1: The research doesn't exist. So this is one study, but
Speaker 1: the authors of it have called for more funding to
Speaker 1: facilitate that research to provide more important insights into the future.
Speaker 3: But you know, in lieu of that we have these.
Speaker 1: Findings from this comprehensive data set in the meantime, I suppose, so, do.
Speaker 2: You want to just talk us through what those key
Speaker 2: findings actually were.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 1: So the findings were published in the Lancet Psychiatry Journal,
Speaker 1: and they show that quote all ADHD medications were generally
Speaker 1: associated with overall small effects on blood pressure, heart rate,
Speaker 1: and other cardiovascular parameters. Which isn't that surprising given that
Speaker 1: we know there is this decrease or increase associated to
Speaker 1: the nervous system from some of those medications that we
Speaker 1: discussed earlier. But it found that for the majority of
Speaker 1: children taking ADHD medications, researchers recorded a quote small increase
Speaker 1: in blood pressure and pulse, which is an interesting finding
Speaker 1: given concerns around young people taking these medications. There was
Speaker 1: one exception, a medication called guanficine, which researchers found leads
Speaker 1: to decreased blood pressure and heart rate, a more notable
Speaker 1: fluctuation than any of the other medications in the study.
Speaker 1: This one I've found really interesting as a finding. No
Speaker 1: significant differences were found between stimulant and non stimulant types
Speaker 1: of ADHD medications, so I think a lot of people
Speaker 1: can feel a bit of a struggle or a battle
Speaker 1: in determining what is the right medication for them stimulants
Speaker 1: vers non stimulants, and so that.
Speaker 2: Was in the specific concern around cardiovascular response.
Speaker 1: Exactly yes, yep, so no significant difference between stimulants and
Speaker 1: non stimulants, and overall research has said that the data
Speaker 1: shows the benefits of taking ADHD medications outweigh the health risks. However,
Speaker 1: researchers did say that practitioners should continue to monitor blood
Speaker 1: pressure and pulse in patients that they are treating for ADHD.
Speaker 2: It's really interesting, em and this study certainly ignited a
Speaker 2: lot of conversation in our comment section, as this topic
Speaker 2: generally tends to do. What has the response been to
Speaker 2: these findings?
Speaker 1: So the studies lead author, Professor Samuel Coortesi said that
Speaker 1: this risk benefit ratio, this assessment that the benefits outweigh
Speaker 1: the risks is reassuring for people taking ADHD medications, and
Speaker 1: he also said that the findings should be particularly relevant
Speaker 1: for practitioners, not just patients, because he said, there is
Speaker 1: this group of practitioners who might assume that only stimulants
Speaker 1: have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system, or who
Speaker 1: might kind of have a preference between stimulants versus non stimulants,
Speaker 1: or prejudices around those medications. But there is that gap
Speaker 1: in long term studies that we talked about and the
Speaker 1: limitations of that. The studies authors also have recommended that
Speaker 1: people with heart conditions consult a cardiologist before starting ADHD medication.
Speaker 1: So I think that's an important note. But before we
Speaker 1: wrap up, when we're talking about the risk benefit ratio,
Speaker 1: when we're talking about the benefits out weighing the health risks,
Speaker 1: I think that everyone will have a different relationship to
Speaker 1: what that benefit might look like.
Speaker 3: But for some.
Speaker 1: People taking ADHD medication might be the difference between holding
Speaker 1: down a job or not, might be the difference between
Speaker 1: showing up for the people that they care about or not,
Speaker 1: or controlling their impulses if they have addiction or substance
Speaker 1: abuse issues. I want to quote Royal Australian College of
Speaker 1: General Practitioners President doctor Nicole Higgins, who in a statement
Speaker 1: last year emphasized that there are many effective ADHD treatments.
Speaker 1: It's not only about medication. She has ADHD herself and said, quote,
Speaker 1: we all have brains that work differently and with the tools,
Speaker 1: which may be medication or skills, training or counseling, people
Speaker 1: develop ways of managing and coping as they talk about
Speaker 1: their positive experiences. It takes away the shame, the stigma,
Speaker 1: and fear around exploring, Okay, why is my brain a
Speaker 1: little bit different? She said, You can't tell who has ADHD.
Speaker 1: It could be the person next to you. It might
Speaker 1: be your doctor, your tea, teach your child, your friend.
Speaker 3: What works for one person might not work for another.
Speaker 1: In essence, as always, if you have concerns, questions, queries
Speaker 1: about ADHD medication, please please consult a health practitioner, a professional.
Speaker 3: They will be able to steer you in the right direction.
Speaker 2: M thank you for explaining that study the findings. It
Speaker 2: is as you said, just the beginning. There is so
Speaker 2: much research that needs to be done into this space,
Speaker 2: so certainly one that I'm sure will be speaking a
Speaker 2: lot about in the months and years to come. But
Speaker 2: thank you so much, thank you, and thank you for
Speaker 2: joining us for another episode of the Daily Ods. We'll
Speaker 2: be back later today with the headlines, but until then,
Speaker 2: have a great day.
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