| Every once in a while a study emerges that | | | | do better than the non-medicated group; they did |
| fundamentally changes a particular aspect of | | | | worse by a factor of ten fold! Children who had |
| medicine. A long term study which shows that the | | | | been medicated had a ten fold higher rate of |
| assumptions underpinning a particular course of | | | | being identified by teachers as performing below |
| treatment, are shown to be wrong. One example | | | | average for age then those who had never been |
| was the Women's Health Initiative in 2002 that | | | | medicated. |
| changed our view on hormone replacement | | | | The other justification for medication has been |
| therapy for women. It had been assumed for | | | | improved behavior in the child. The study showed |
| close to 20 years that the benefits outweighed | | | | no significant improvement in the medicated |
| the risks. Then a long-term study showed the | | | | children. Their behavior was no "worse" but not |
| exact opposite and almost overnight the routine | | | | better. There was a slightly increase likelihood of |
| recommendation to menopausal women to take | | | | depression in the medicated group. |
| H.R.T. was changed. Today it is only used where | | | | So essentially the two reasons that have been |
| the benefit to the individual can be assessed as | | | | used to promote the use of stimulant medication |
| outweighing the risks. | | | | in children have been shown to be fundamentally |
| This week the same fundamental overthrowing | | | | wrong. The strength of this study is that is long |
| of assumptions has happened with Attention | | | | term (9 years).It is often easy to show benefits |
| deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.). For the | | | | from medication in the short term for a variety |
| last 25 years we have seen a significant increase | | | | of reasons including the placebo effect. Long term |
| in the number of children diagnosed with this | | | | is where the truth comes out |
| condition and an exponential increase in the use of | | | | Furthermore, the children who had been |
| drugs to treat it. These "stimulant" drugs such as | | | | medicated had a significantly higher diastolic blood |
| Ritalin and Dex-amphetamine are amphetamine | | | | pressure, which was not a short-term effect. The |
| derivatives and are potent. They have been | | | | drugs are known to elevate blood pressure whilst |
| known to have significant side effects particularly | | | | in the body but it was thought that this wore off. |
| affecting the heart and cardiovascular system. | | | | This study showed that medicated children had |
| Their use has generally been defended on the | | | | ongoing higher blood pressure even after the |
| basis that the benefits outweighed the risks. | | | | medication was ceased. This potentially increases |
| One of the main perceived benefits has been | | | | their risk of hypertension and heart disease in |
| improved academic performance. Paradoxically, | | | | adult life. |
| the use of stimulant medication seems to | | | | So what does this mean for parents whose |
| tranquilize to some degree children with A.D.H.D. | | | | children are on these medications? The short |
| making them more docile and more attentive in | | | | answer is that one should be looking at getting |
| class settings. In turn it has been assumed that | | | | them off. This needs to be done in consultation |
| children treated with the drugs would do better in | | | | with your doctor. Importantly each case is |
| school than those that were not medicated. | | | | different and there will be cases where for |
| The study released this week from the | | | | various reasons the benefits are judged to |
| well-respected Raine Foundation is the worlds first | | | | outweigh the substantial risks. However we will |
| long term research into drug use in A.D.H.D. The | | | | expect see a drastic reduction in the use of these |
| children were followed for nine years. The results | | | | potent drugs in our children. |
| showed that not only did the medicated group not | | | | |