Rates of ADHD Up in Adults With Autism, Intellectual Disability
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Feb. 27, 2025 -- Adults with autism have high rates of co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are more likely to receive ADHD medications, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Benjamin E. Yerys, Ph.D., from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues examined associations between health outcomes and ADHD co-occurrence and ADHD prescription medications in a population-based cohort study involving adults with autism with and without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID), adults with ID without autism, and adults from a random sample of Medicaid-enrolled individuals from 2008 to 2019. Data were included for 3,506,661 patients.
The researchers found that compared with the general Medicaid-enrolled population (1,846,102 patients), of whom 2.7 percent had co-occurring ADHD diagnoses, the rates of ADHD were elevated in those with autism without ID, autism with ID, and ID without autism (prevalence ratios, 5.1, 6.8, and 4.4, respectively). Overall, 26.6 percent of those with ADHD received a prescription for ADHD medication. Substance use rates were higher among clinical groups with co-occurring ADHD, with 13.2 and 5.7 percent of adults with autism with and without ADHD, respectively, having substance use disorders. Higher rates of all health outcomes were seen in association with ADHD diagnoses, regardless of group. In both ID groups with ADHD diagnoses and ADHD medications, substance use was higher, while injury and cardiovascular condition rates were lower in all ADHD groups receiving ADHD medications.
"Co-occurring ADHD is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular conditions, injury, and substance use among autistic people, although, overall, these effects are mitigated by ADHD medications," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
Autism Spectrum Disorder Linked to Increased Risk for Parkinson Disease
TUESDAY, June 3, 2025 -- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson disease (PD), according to a study published online May 27 in JAMA...
No Sex Differences Seen for Autistic Traits in Toddlers at Initial Diagnosis
TUESDAY, June 3, 2025 -- Autistic traits in toddlers do not differ based on clinical sex when they are first diagnosed with autism, according to a study published online May 26...
Considerable Decline Seen in Self-Reported Maternal Mental Health
THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- From 2016 to 2023, there was a considerable decline in self-reported maternal mental health, while declines in physical health were smaller, according to...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.