United States: In a recent expert report, a detailed examination of 30,000 British people with ADHD shows the condition lowers life expectancy plus raises the possibility of mental health problems.
Men with ADHD saw their expected lifespan decrease by nearly 5 years to 9 years. In contrast, women’s life expectancy was shortened by 6.5 years to 11 years, as shown in the research published by The British Journal of Psychiatry on Thursday.
Experts explanation
According to the lead study author, Dr. Liz O’Nions, honorary research fellow in clinical, education, and health psychology at University College London, “Although many people with ADHD live long and healthy lives, our finding that on average they are living shorter lives than they should indicates unmet support needs,” CNN health reported.
“It is crucial that we find out the reasons behind premature deaths so we can develop strategies to prevent these in the future,” she added.
The neurodevelopmental disease ADHD develops initially in children before continuing into adult life.
Adults with ADHD ‘are living shorter lives than they should’, say researchers who analysed life expectancy in GP patient records. https://t.co/Dlxh1HfehO
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People who have ADHD show uneven levels of neurotransmitters, with dopamine being one of them.
Our brain needs dopamine in its prefrontal cortex region to manage executive function tasks like planning and self-regulation.
The challenges someone with ADHD faces include frequent energy movement plus struggles with focus organization, time management, and impulse control.
These health issues impact every part of life. Research shows that between 3 percent and 4 percent of UK adults have ADHD; however, studies indicate that 4 percent of children will develop the condition.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals a startling truth: adults with ADHD face a significantly shorter l https://t.co/Ljbi3ybiew pic.twitter.com/Y3BXSwrhjt
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Researchers believe the real difference in life expectancy may be more limited than stated because they suspect many people with ADHD go untreated.
New research backs earlier studies, such as an investigation from 2022, which found people with ADHD and Autism faced higher death risks across North America and Europe, CNN Health reported.
Medical researchers use this calculation system to track how death rates vary across individual age groups.
As per the experts, Autism, intellectual disabilities, as well harmful habits like smoking or “potentially harmful alcohol use,” and physical health problems, including diabetes or high cholesterol, were more generally seen in this group.