Family Ties: Major Research Findings Show Strong Familial Link to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Family ties hold strong between parent and child - and groundbreaking research finds this is especially true when it comes to use of medications to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

According to new research released by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. , parents of children on an ADHD medication are nearly 10 times more likely to take an ADHD drug themselves than those without a child using those drugs. The study also found a striking correlation between mother and child: in households where both a parent and child began treatment for the first time in 2005, nearly 60 percent of those parents were moms.

The analysis - which reviewed prescription claims of more than 107,000 children ages 5-19 and their parents over a 12-month period in 2005 - is the nation's largest analysis of concurrent use of ADHD medications among family members.

Further findings showed that in families where at least one parent and one child are concurrently taking an ADHD medication, the likelihood of a second child taking the medication was double that of families where the parent is not on the drug.

"Heredity has long been suggested as a cause of ADHD, but this is the first study of significant magnitude to confirm the theory and the largest study that has viewed it through the prism of medication use," said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer. "These results establish a clear link between parents and children in the use of ADHD medications and, most surprisingly, between mother and child."

The analysis also revealed that more than 40 percent of the cases where both parent and child began ADHD treatment in 2005, the parent started drug therapy first and the child followed. The average age of parents beginning ADHD drug therapy was 43 and for children it was 13.

These results follow an earlier analysis by Medco that showed the greatest growth in the use of ADHD drugs was among adults aged 20 to 44 - increasing 139 percent between 2000 to 2005; women showed the most substantial gains in ADHD drug use, rising 164 percent over the four year period, a growth rate 45 percent higher than their male counterparts.

ADHD IN TWINS

The new Medco analysis also reviewed the use of ADHD medication among twins. Looking at nearly 17,500 twin sets, the analysis found the following links:

-- Regardless of the gender of the twins, when one twin was taking an ADHD medication, there was a one in four chance that the other twin was also being treated with an ADHD drug - almost two and half times the probability of non-twin siblings both taking these medications -- For male twin sets, the probability that both twins would be taking an ADHD medication when one twin was on an ADHD drug rose to one in three -- In households where one twin and a parent were on ADHD drug therapy, there was a 37 percent likelihood that the other twin would be on the medication as well, as compared to a 24 percent chance when the parent was not taking an ADHD drug

"While this analysis supports the idea that genetics may influence a person's predisposition to ADHD, it may also be true that when one family member uses an ADHD drug, they may be more apt to try those medications on other family members who display similar behaviors," said Dr. Epstein. "It's important that each case be considered separately, and the risks and benefits of using ADHD medications be weighed carefully before any family member - parent or child -- begins ADHD drug treatment."

ADHD Medication Risks

In August 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that several drugs to treat ADHD must include new warning information about the risk of heart problems and psychotic behaviors associated with the use of these medications. The risks include sudden death and serious heart problems, as well as behavioral problems such as aggression and mania.

Medco's ADHD Drug Safety Program

Medco has taken a proactive role in addressing the potential safety issues surrounding ADHD medications by alerting physicians of possible cardiovascular risks for patients on ADHD medications through its integrated data system, the RationalMed(R) Patient Safety System. Physicians prescribing ADHD drugs may not be aware that their patient has a cardiovascular condition. RationalMed reviews patients' pharmacy and medical claims, and lab tests to determine if there's a potential risk in taking an ADHD medication and, when a safety issue may exist, alerts the patient's physician of this potential problem. RationalMed has established special black box alerts for patients with cardiovascular risk factors who are using ADHD medications including patients who have had heart failure, endocardial/valvular disorders, conduction disorders, cardiomyopathy, structural heart disease and strokes.

About Medco

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. is the nation's leading pharmacy benefit manager based on its 2005 total net revenues of nearly $38 billion. Medco's prescription drug benefit programs are designed to drive down the cost of pharmacy health care for private and public employers, health plans, labor unions and government agencies of all sizes, and for individuals served by the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program. Medco's technologically advanced mail-order pharmacies and award-winning Internet pharmacy have been recognized for setting new industry benchmarks for pharmacy dispensing quality. Medco serves the needs of patients with complex conditions requiring sophisticated treatment through its specialty pharmacy operation, which became the nation's largest with the 2005 acquisition of Accredo Health, Incorporated. Medco is the highest-ranked pharmacy benefit manager on the 2006 Fortune 500 list. On the Net: http://www.medco.com/.

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