Cardiovascular risk factors in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A family design study of Swedish conscripts

Abstract Objective (1) investigate the associations of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, pulse pressure (PP), physical fitness, and BMI; (2) explore whether cardiovascular risk factors and ADHD share genetic and environmen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Miguel Garcia‐Argibay, Ebba Du Rietz, Catharina A. Hartman, Paul Lichtenstein, Zheng Chang, Cristiano Fava, Samuele Cortese, Henrik Larsson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-12-01
Series:International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1930
Description
Summary:Abstract Objective (1) investigate the associations of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, pulse pressure (PP), physical fitness, and BMI; (2) explore whether cardiovascular risk factors and ADHD share genetic and environmental influences; (3) assess if pharmacological treatment for ADHD influences these associations. Methods We identified 395,978 individuals born between 1973 and 1991 who had military conscription examinations at a mean age of 18.3 years (SD = 0.57) and their full‐siblings within the same cohort (N = 208,060) by linking population‐based registers in Sweden. Results Significantly increased risk of ADHD was observed in individuals with low systolic blood pressure (SBP) and PP, low physical fitness, and in those who had overweight or obesity after adjustments (adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] ranging from 1.10 to 1.45). Full siblings of individuals with low SBP, low physical fitness, and obesity were more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis compared to full siblings without those risk factors (OR ranging from 1.17 to 1.31). Additionally, analyses showed robust associations between ADHD and low SBP, low physical fitness, and obesity, even in ADHD medication‐naïve individuals. Conclusions Individuals with several cardiovascular risk factors are more often diagnosed with ADHD, regardless of psychiatric comorbidity. These association are not explained by ADHD pharmacotherapy, rather, they are in part due to shared familial risk factors.
ISSN:1049-8931
1557-0657