On Healthy Living

An advisory panel suggested a new warning label on stimulants like Ritalin, long used as a treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder, because of the potential risk of heart problems from taking the drug.

Nearly four million people currently take Ritalin and similar drugs to treat hyperactivity and ADD.

The Food and Drug Administration was a little surprised by the action of the panel, which had been convened to figure out how to study the potential heart risks of these drugs. There have been no studies linking the drugs to heart problems, but there have been 25 unexplained deaths, mostly of children, among people who have taken the drugs.

A review of medical records suggested that the drugs increase the risk of stroke and irregular heartbeat in both adults and children.

Members of the panel said they wanted to warn consumers now that there might be a problem, instead of waiting for a study to tell them what already seems clear.

Preliminary studies showed that taking the drugs might increase the risk of heart problems two-fold, which is not that significant for children but can make a big difference for adults.

If you or your child is currently on one of these drugs, talk to your doctor about the increased risk of heart problems and if you are worried about it, see if there are any alternative treatments that won’t increase your risk of heart problems.

Sarah White wrote this on February 10th, 2006 and filed it under Healthy Living, Women's Health, Men's Health, Health & Aging |