Study: ADHD drugs don’t raise heart risks for kids

BOSTON (AP) — Doctors say that Ritalin and similar medicines that millions of children and teens take to curb hyperactivity and boost attention do not raise their risk of serious heart problems.

The study is the largest safety review ever done of drugs for ADHD, or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. It was sponsored by the federal government.

Researchers looked at health records on more than 1 million children and young adults and found that heart attacks, strokes and sudden deaths were very rare and were no more common in those on ADHD medicines than in non-users or former users of such drugs.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the study online Tuesday.

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