Adults diagnosed with ADHD have shorter life expectancy, UK study shows
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Data based on recorded deaths raises concerns around under-diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Men with a diagnosis of ADHD die seven years sooner, on average, than similar people without, while for women the life expectancy gap is almost nine years, the first study of its kind has revealed.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can cause difficulties in concentration and problems with impulsiveness, although people with ADHD do not necessarily experience both. While estimates vary, studies suggest 3-4% of adults worldwide have ADHD. Now researchers have revealed people diagnosed with the disorder tend to have shorter lives.
“For this group of people, they have a reduction in life expectancy that is significant, on average, and is disconcerting,” said Prof Joshua Stott, a senior author of the research from University College London. While a previous study suggested people with ADHD had a lower estimated life expectancy, this was not based on recorded deaths.
In contrast, the new study used primary care data from more than 9 million adults across the UK, from 2000 to 2019, to explore whether ADHD is indeed associated with a shorter life. In particular, the team looked at records for 30,039 adults with a diagnosis of ADHD, and compared them with 300,390 participants without, but who were similar in terms of age, sex and primary care practice.
