ADHD and heart disease.

The Wall Street Journal and others today have discussed the possible heart disease developed among children labeled as having ADHD. Most medicines have undesired side effects. The issue is deciding when the benefit outweighs the risk. While the stimulant drugs used to control ADHD are found valuable by parents, one msy wonder how much of the acting out is the result of poor discipline rather than disease. It is too simple to diagnose a 'condition' and prescribe a drug. Maybe this wake up call from the American Heart Association will help more parents consider behavioral therapy rather than drugs to help their children. We have not investigated if when the children become adults there performance may be less productive for having been on drugs all their lives.