NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Children and adolescents who use stimulant medications, primarily methylphenidate, are at increased risk for sudden death, according to a report in The American Journal of Psychiatry for June 15. Such events are rare, however.

“In recent years, concerns have arisen that stimulants may be associated with an increased risk of death. Results of the current study are consistent with these concerns,” Dr. Madelyn S. Gould, from Columbia University Medical Center, New York, and colleagues note.

The findings stem from an assessment of stimulant exposure in 564 cases of sudden death that occurred in the US from 1985 to 1996 in youths aged 7 to 19 and in 564 matched cases involving youth who had died as passengers in motor vehicle accidents. Researchers assessed stimulant exposure via informant reports, medical examiner records, toxicology results, or death certificates.

The rate of stimulant use in the sudden death group was 1.8% (10 cases) compared with 0.4% (2 cases) in the control group. Moreover, 9 of the 10 youths who used stimulants in the sudden death group used methylphenidate, compared with just one of the two stimulant users in the control group.

On final analysis, stimulant use increased the odds of sudden death by 7.4-fold, the report indicates.

“While the data have limitations that preclude a definitive conclusion, our findings draw attention to the potential risks of stimulant medications for children and adolescents, which warrant clinical attention and further study,” the researchers state.

Reference:
Am J Psychiatry 2009.