‘Deeply concerning’: ADHD could ‘take years off life’, study reveals

New research has found people living with the common condition be living shorter lives than those without.

Having ADHD could reduce your life expectancy, scientists say – cutting your life short by up to 11 years.

It’s estimated there are at least 800,000 Australians are living with ADHD, short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

ADHD is more common in boys and is under diagnosed in girls and adults.

During childhood, boys are three times more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than girls.

New research by the University College London, The British Journal of Psychiatry, found people with ADHD may be living shorter lives than those without the condition.

Researchers found men with ADHD tended to live 4.5 to nine years less.

As for women, their lives were cut short by 6.5 to 11 years.

Senior author Professor Josh Stott said: “It is deeply concerning that some adults with diagnosed ADHD are living shorter lives than they should.

“People with ADHD have many strengths and can thrive with the right support and treatment.

“However, they often lack support and are more likely to experience stressful life events and social exclusion, negatively impacting their health and self-esteem.”

New research found ADHD could cut your life short by up to 11 years. Picture: iStock

ADHD is a condition that affects people’s behaviour and concentration.

It’s usually spotted in children under the age of 12 but it can also be diagnosed later – with increasing numbers of cases being picked up in adulthood.

People with ADHD often have high energy and can focus intensely on what interests them, but they may find it difficult to focus on mundane tasks.

This can lead to more impulsiveness, restlessness, and struggles in planning and time management – which may make it harder to succeed at school and work and lead to longer-term challenges.

ADHD often goes undiagnosed

The UCL research, analysed data from 30,029 adults across the UK who’d been diagnosed with ADHD and compared it to 300,390 participants without ADHD.

The team found that fewer than one in nine adults with ADHD had been diagnosed – meaning that only a fraction of the total population of adults with ADHD could be studied.

Professor Stott said: “We know from studies of traits in the community and from studies of childhood diagnosis that the rate of ADHD in our sample is just a fraction of what it should be.”

This is the first time that researchers have estimated the life expectancy of UK adults diagnosed with ADHD.

But they noted that because ADHD often goes undiagnosed – especially in adults – the new research may over-estimate the average reduction in life expectancy experienced by people with ADHD.

ADHD is a condition that affects people’s behaviour and concentration. Picture: iStock

Study author Dr Liz O’Nions said: “Only a small percentage of adults with ADHD have been diagnosed, meaning this study covers just a segment of the entire community.

“More of those who are diagnosed may have additional health problems compared to the average person with ADHD.

“Therefore, our research may over-estimate the life expectancy gap for people with ADHD overall, though more community-based research is needed to test whether this is the case.”

Prof Philip Asherson, of King’s College London, who wasn’t involved in the research, responded to its results by saying: “This is an excellent and well conducted study that highlights the impact of higher mortality rates in ADHD on shorter life expectancy.

“The precise causes of early death are not yet confirmed, but we know that ADHD is associated with higher rates of smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer among other health problems.

“Adults with ADHD are more likely to engage in unhealthy habits such as binge eating or smoking, and risk-taking behaviour.

“There may also be biological links with auto-immune and other physical health disorders.”

He also flagged how people with ADHD have difficulty getting a diagnosis and accessing support: “Until this is addressed the shorter life expectancy demonstrated in this study is likely to continue.”

Meanwhile, Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said the study “leaves many important questions unanswered”, especially around the “web of potentially interacting factors” that could reduce the life expectancy of people with ADHD.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.

Originally published as ‘Deeply concerning’: ADHD could ‘take years off life’, study reveals