How recreational Adderall use affects the heart: a cardiologist’s warning
Adderall is both safe and effective when prescribed to a patient with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and taken as recommended. When young adults without ADHD use the drug to study or for recreation, however, it may have an unexpected impact on their cardiovascular system.
That is the key finding from a new analysis published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.[1] Researchers tracked a group of 29 participants—13 men and 16 women—with a mean age of 27 years old. None of the participants had ADHD. They were all randomized to receive either a single 25-mg dose of oral generic Adderall or a placebo.
“The primary objective of our study was to investigate how a single dose of Adderall acutely affects cardiovascular hemodynamics—blood pressure and heart rate—and sympathetic activity in young adults who do not have a medical indication for the medication,” senior author Anna Svatikova, MD, PhD, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explained in a statement.
Svatikova et al. found that the mean systolic blood pressure increased significantly from 116 mm Hg to 126 mm Hg for patients given Adderall. Among patients given the placebo, systolic blood pressure was unchanged. On a similar note, the mean diastolic blood pressure increased from 6 mm Hg to 7 mm Hg for patients given Adderall. Again, there was no change for patients given the placebo.
Heart rate and plasma catecholamine levels also increased for patients given Adderall, but not for those given a placebo.
“Adderall is sometimes used without a prescription outside of a medical setting,” Svatikova noted. “We found that even in individuals with no prior exposure, a 25 mg dose triggers significant increases in blood pressure, heart rate and activation of the body’s stress-response system.”
“These results demonstrate measurable, acute cardiovascular effects of Adderall used by those not regularly using Adderall prescribed for specific medical reasons,” added lead author Kiran Somers, DO, a family medicine physician with Mayo Clinic.
The researchers noted that college and graduate students often take Adderall to help them study or for more social purposes. They hoped to mimic this trend with their research and help gain a better understanding of how this drug impacts the health of individuals who are not accustomed to it.
On the other hand, this research was not designed to explore the long-term use of Adderall among patients with ADHD who take the drug as recommended by a physician. It has already been established many times over the years that Adderall is safe for these individuals.
Click here to read the full analysis.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.