Reduced Life Expectancy in Untreated ADHD

This video discusses the results of my own research and many other studies on the impact of untreated ADHD on reduced life expectancy. My study found that cases having hyperactive child syndrome, or ADHD-C, in childhood manifested a 9.6 year reduction in estimated healthy life expectancy (ELE) in remaining years, a 1.2 year period of greater unhealthy life expectancy in remaining years, and an overall 8.4 year reduction in total life expectancy than did control children by young adulthood. Moreover, the persistence of ADHD to adult follow-up was associated with an even worse impact on these ELE measures, with a 12.7-year reduction in healthy life expectancy and an 11.1-year reduction in total ELE than was seen in control cases. Persistent cases had a 5.3-year reduction in healthy life expectancy and a 4.6-year reduction in total ELE than nonpersistent ADHD-C cases. And both persistent and nonpersistent ADHD cases had significantly lower ELEs by adulthood than did control cases. The magnitude of such reductions in life expectancy can be appreciated by understanding that such reductions are far greater than those associated with smoking, obesity, alcohol use, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure either individually or combined! These findings in the context of the other research noted above on increased mortality by mid-life argue for ADHD being viewed as a public health and not just a mental health disorder. They should also give impetus to efforts to try to reduce those first order factors that are predisposing to reduced life expectancy, such as obesity, smoking, excess alcohol use, poor diet, poor sleep, limited exercise, etc. in children and adults with ADHD. After all, estimated life expectancy is malleable – change the adverse health and lifestyle factors affecting it and one can improve quality of life as well as life expectancy. But our results also suggest that without efforts to address the background trait of poor inhibition specifically and ADHD symptoms more generally, trying to improve only those first order factors may have only limited success. Adding ADHD medications and evidence based psychosocial treatments to address the background traits predisposing those with ADHD to engage in these first order adverse activities is also likely to be necessary. Research on large populations now shows that treating ADHD in adulthood, especially with medications, reduces these various risks and thus would be expected to improve life expectancy Barkley, R. A. & Fischer, M. (2019). Hyperactive child syndrome and estimated life expectancy at young adult follow-up: The role of ADHD persistence and other potential predictors. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23, 907-923. Dalsgaard, S., Ostergaard, S. D., Leckman, J. F., Mortensen, P. B., & Pedersen, M. G. (2015). Mortality in children, adolescents and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a nationwide cohort study. Lancet, 385, 2190-2196