HYPERTENSION RISK IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS RECEIVING ADHD THERAPY

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Objective. To assess and evaluate the incidence of hypertension risk associated with stimulant versus non-stimulant ADHD therapy among US children and adolescents ages 2-19 years. Background. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorders of children and adolescents. The majority of these patients are successfully treated with stimulant medications; however, these agents are known to cause cardiovascular risks including increased risk of hypertension. Prevalence of developing hypertension in pediatrics being treated with stimulants compared to non-stimulants or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) is not well described. Methods. In our cross-sectional study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database was utilized to attain population data. The NHANES survey examines a representative sample of 5000 people each year across the country. Our population included two sample cohorts from the years 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. Our inclusion criterion includes individuals aged 2-19 years old who are taking at least one ADHD treatment medication at the time of the survey. Our exclusion criterion includes individuals with a past medical history of hypertension. Results. Our initial sample size included 183 subjects. Upon applying the exclusion criteria and eliminating missing or incomplete data, 147 subjects remained. Our preliminary results have shown our population to encompass 72.1% males, 42.2% Caucasian, and mean age of 11.8 years. 83.0% of patients were on 1 ADHD agent, 15.0% were on 2 ADHD agents, 2.0% were on 3 ADHD agents, and 0.6% were on 4 ADHD agents. Of these 76.5% of patients were treated with stimulants, 34.9% with non-stimulants, and 0.7% with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). Chi-squared analysis has shown that there is no significant difference in hypertension risk at any stage in relation to the number of agents used to treat ADHD (p=0.252). Conclusion. Pending the completion of results Grants. NA