A new study shows that treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with stimulant medications reduces the risk of smoking.
Researchers at the Duke Medicine conducted analysis of 14 longitudinal studies of cigarette smoking and ADHD treatment, which included a total of 2,360 ADHD individuals.
Some studies used nicotine dependence to understand the smoking behaviours, even though nicotine dependence cannot be easily found in youngsters with a recent habit. For this, the researchers broadened their criteria to include smoking frequency and whether participants currently smoked.
The study analysis showed an important association between stimulant treatment and lower smoking rates. The effect was more in those with severe ADHD and when participants took stimulant medications constantly.
"Given that individuals with ADHD are more likely to smoke, our study supports the use of stimulant treatment to reduce the likelihood of smoking in youth with ADHD," said senior author Scott Kollins, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Duke ADHD Program, in the press release.
"The risk is further lowered when adherence to medication treatment is consistent, presumably since this increases the chances that symptoms are managed effectively."
Erin Schoenfelder explained that nicotine functions on the same pathways in the brain as stimulant medications, but the links to stimulant medications and smoking remains debatable. "It has been suggested that some people with ADHD 'self-medicate' their attention deficits using nicotine," said. "Our findings show that treating ADHD effectively with medication may prevent young people from picking up the habit."
"My hope is that this research can help inform our efforts to prevent negative outcomes for kids with ADHD, including cigarette smoking," Schoenfelder said. "This population hasn't been targeted for smoking prevention efforts, despite the well-known connection between ADHD and smoking."
The study is published online in the journal 'Pediatrics.'
