ADHD는 단순한 집중력 문제가 아니다. 심혈관 건강과도 밀접하게 연결되어 있다는 것을 대규모 호주 연구가 확인했다.
*Journal of Attention Disorders*에 2026년 발표된 이 전국 규모 인구 기반 연구는 UNSW Sydney 연구팀이 호주 전국 처방 청구 데이터(10% 무작위 표본)를 활용해 ADHD 성인 14,753명과 연령·성별 매칭된 비ADHD 성인 59,012명을 비교했다.
ADHD 성인의 심혈관계 약 사용률이 전반적으로 1.7배 높았다. 2021년 기준 심혈관계 약 사용률은 ADHD 군 16.5%, 비ADHD 군 10.0%로, 연령·성별 보정 유병률비(aPR)=1.7(95%CI: 1.6~1.7)이었다.
18~29세 젊은 ADHD 성인에서 차이가 가장 컸다. 이 연령대의 aPR은 2.8(95%CI: 2.4~3.1)로, 젊은 ADHD 환자가 이미 심혈관 약을 훨씬 더 많이 필요로 하고 있음을 보여준다.
특정 약물에서 두드러진 차이가 확인됐다. 프로프라놀롤 사용률은 ADHD군 3.2% 대 비ADHD군 0.7%로 약 4.6배 차이가 났다. 루프 이뇨제(0.8% vs 0.4%), 칼륨 보존성 이뇨제(0.9% vs 0.4%), 심장 치료제(0.8% vs 0.5%), 항혈전제(2.2% vs 1.4%)에서도 모두 ADHD군이 높았다.
여성 ADHD 환자에서는 특정 이뇨제 사용률 차이가 특히 컸다. 루프 이뇨제(aPR=2.8)와 칼륨 보존성 이뇨제(aPR=2.5)에서 여성 ADHD 군이 특히 더 높은 사용률을 보였다.
이 연구는 처방 청구 데이터 기반으로 실제 복용 여부나 적응증을 확인할 수 없다는 한계가 있다. ADHD 진단이 약 처방 기준으로 정의됐다는 점도 진단 편향 가능성이 있다.
ADHD 진단을 받은 성인이라면 정기적인 혈압, 심박수, 심혈관 위험 인자 모니터링이 중요하다. ADHD 치료제(특히 암페타민 계열)가 심박수와 혈압에 영향을 줄 수 있으므로, 신경과 또는 정신건강의학과 전문의와 심장 건강을 함께 점검하는 것이 좋다.
📖 *Cardiovascular Medicine Use Among Adults With ADHD: A Nationwide Study in Australia (인구 기반 코호트 연구, ADHD 14,753명)* |
논문 원문
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ADHD is widely understood as a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention and impulse control — but a major new Australian study highlights another dimension: adults with ADHD use cardiovascular medicines at significantly higher rates than the general population, including among young people who should be at their cardiovascular prime.
Published in the *Journal of Attention Disorders* in 2026 by researchers from UNSW Sydney, this population-based study drew on nationwide dispensing claims data representing a 10% random sample of Australians. The analysis compared 14,753 adults with ADHD (defined as receiving two or more ADHD medicine dispensings between 2012 and 2020) with 59,012 sex- and age-matched adults without ADHD, assessing cardiovascular medicine use in 2021.
Overall cardiovascular medicine use was 1.7 times more prevalent in adults with ADHD. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.6–1.7), with 16.5% of adults with ADHD using cardiovascular medicines compared to 10.0% of those without. This difference persisted across all age groups examined.
The disparity was most pronounced in young adults aged 18 to 29 years. In this age group, the adjusted prevalence ratio reached aPR = 2.8 (95% CI: 2.4–3.1) — meaning young ADHD adults were nearly three times as likely to be dispensed cardiovascular medicines as their peers without ADHD. This finding is particularly notable because cardiovascular disease typically affects older populations, making such elevated rates in young ADHD patients clinically alarming.
Propranolol use showed the largest absolute difference — 3.2% in ADHD versus 0.7% in non-ADHD adults, reflecting the drug's use both for cardiovascular indications and for ADHD-related anxiety. Elevated use was also observed for loop diuretics (0.8% vs 0.4%), potassium-sparing diuretics (0.9% vs 0.4%), cardiac therapy agents (0.8% vs 0.5%), and antithrombotic agents (2.2% vs 1.4%).
Sex-specific patterns emerged, particularly for diuretics in women. Female ADHD patients showed especially elevated odds for loop diuretics (aPR=2.8) and potassium-sparing diuretics (aPR=2.5) compared to women without ADHD, suggesting potential sex-specific cardiovascular vulnerabilities or treatment patterns in this population.
The study's limitations include its reliance on dispensing claims data, which cannot confirm actual medication ingestion or the clinical indications for which medicines were prescribed. ADHD diagnosis was defined pharmacologically, introducing potential classification bias. Causal inference is not possible from this observational design.
For adults living with ADHD, these findings reinforce the importance of regular cardiovascular monitoring — blood pressure, resting heart rate, and lipid profiles — as part of routine care. ADHD medications, particularly stimulants like amphetamines, can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, underscoring the need for integrated care that addresses both neurological and cardiovascular health across the lifespan.
📖 *Cardiovascular Medicine Use Among Adults With ADHD: A Nationwide Study in Australia (population-based cohort, n=14,753 ADHD adults)* |
Source
*This article is based on published medical research. Individual health outcomes may vary; consult your physician for personalized cardiovascular risk assessment.*
