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More adults using
ADHD drugs, fewer young kids
Usage down 5 percent in children younger than 10
Tuesday, March 21, 2006; Posted: 11:36 a.m. EST (16:36 GMT)
HEALTH LIBRARY
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Use of attention deficit drugs rose nearly 19
percent among ages 20 to 44 in 2005 while falling 5 percent in
children under 10, according to statistics released Tuesday amid a
U.S. review of the drugs' safety.
An estimated 1.7 million U.S. adults aged 20 to 64 and nearly 3.3
million children 19 and younger took a prescription drug to treat
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2005, according
to a report from pharmacy benefits manager Medco Health Solutions
Inc.
ADHD drugs include Novartis AG's Ritalin and Focalin, Shire Plc's
Adderall and Johnson & Johnson's Concerta.
The biggest jump in use -- a 19 percent rise from 2004 -- was among
adults ages 20 to 44, the study said. The number of those aged 10 to
19 who took the drugs rose by 2 percent.
Use fell 5 percent for children under 10. The findings were based on
prescription data from 2.5 million U.S. patients.
Critics say ADHD drugs are overprescribed, especially among
children. The safety of the medicines has faced growing scrutiny in
recent months.
In February, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel called
for a strong "black-box" warning on ADHD medicines, saying they
might increase the chances of cardiovascular problems in some
patients. The FDA says it does not yet know if reports of sudden
deaths, heart attacks and strokes are related to the drugs.
On Wednesday, a different FDA advisory panel is set to review data
on a possible link between ADHD therapies and heart problems, as
well as psychiatric problems such as hallucinations in children.
The FDA will consider the input from the panels before deciding
whether to update warnings on the drug labels. |
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