In a cohort study in Sweden1, researchers identified individuals aged 6 through 64 years with an incident diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from 2007 through 2018 and no ADHD medication dispensation before diagnosis.
Follow-up started until death, emigration, 2 years after ADHD diagnosis, or December 31, 2020, whichever came first.
The median age at diagnosis was 17.4 years. The 2-year mortality risk was lower in the initiation treatment strategy group (39.1 per 10 000 individuals) than in the non-initiation treatment strategy group (48.1 per 10 000 individuals).
Among individuals diagnosed with ADHD, medication initiation was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality, particularly for death due to unnatural causes. (e.g., unintentional injuries, suicide, and accidental poisonings).
There is a chance that more safety-conscious people will get preferential access to medication but this is the best available data.
