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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Children with an undetected heart condition may be at risk of sudden cardiac death if they take stimulant medications. Now, new guidelines released by the American Heart Association say children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be tested for heart conditions before being treated with stimulant drugs.
Research shows stimulant medications can increase heart rate and blood pressure. While insignificant for most kids with ADHD, those side effects could put children with certain heart conditions at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD).
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The new guidelines recommend doctors add careful cardiac evaluation -- including electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) -- to a childs routine physical exam before prescribing stimulant medications to treat ADHD.
Children can have undiagnosed heart conditions without showing symptoms, Victoria L. Vetter, M.D., head of the statement writing committee and professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, was quoted as saying. She says some of the cardiac conditions associated with SCD may not be detected or vague during a routine physical exam, increasing the need for an EKG, which measures the hearts electrical activity.
The statement goes on to say all children taking stimulant medications for ADHD should have their heart and blood pressure monitored every six to 12 months. If the EKG was initially taken before age 12, a repeat may be beneficial.
A childs body changes constantly, with some conditions not appearing until adolescence, Dr. Vetter said.
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SOURCE: Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, published online April 21, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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