Stimulant Treatment May Also Reduce Smoking Addiction in ADHD Patients

ADHD is the acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and treating such disorder with stimulant medication can reduce the likelihood of getting addicted to smoking according to latest research conducted by Duke Medicine in Durham, NC.

Persons suffering with ADHD are hyperactive and impulsive and the conventional treatment includes stimulant medication alone or in conjunction with behavior therapy.

Past research has revealed that persons suffering with ADHD are more likely to get addicted to smoking and smoke twice than normal adults. ADHD patients also start smoking from a very early age. A young person with ADHD is thrice more likely to smoke than a person without ADHD.

Prof. Scott Kollins , director of the Duke ADHD Program said, “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”

Earlier studies about how stimulant medications might influence smoking patterns in persons with ADHD were mixed. Dome studies showed that persons with ADHD after treatment with stimulant medicine increased smoking while another study showed a decrease in smoking.

According to Lead author Erin Schoenfelder, PhD, clinical associate and a psychologist in the Duke ADHD Program, had an explanation for this phenomenon. Stimulant medications and Nicotine operate in the same pathways and the relationship between stimulants and smoking has been contentious.

The study reviewed 14 studies which looked into cigarette smoking and ADHD treatment. In all there were 2360 participants in the study conducted by Duke Medicine researchers and the results were published in the journal Pediatrics. The findings show that ADHD can be treated effectively with stimulant medication and could prevent young patients from getting addicted to smoking.