A new study out of the UK shows adults diagnosed with ADHD have a shorter life expectancy, with the impact more pronounced in women.
According to the researchers, men with an ADHD diagnosis, on average, die seven years earlier than those without. For women, the gap is even more significant, dying an average of nine years sooner.
Some estimates say as little as 3% of adults globally have ADHD, while others place the number much higher. Last year, The Dallas Express reported on a survey conducted by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine that found around 25% of Americans may have undiagnosed ADHD.
“For this group of people, they have a reduction in life expectancy that is significant, on average, and is disconcerting,” said Joshua Stott, a senior author of the study from the University College London, per The Guardian.
The authors of the study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, analyzed the records of over 30,000 adults with an ADHD diagnosis. These records were then compared against a similar demographic of more than 300,000 persons who did not have the diagnosis.
Stott posits that ADHD is unlikely to cause lower life expectancies directly. Instead, he says it is more likely connected to other explanations, such as lifestyle factors.
“We know that people with ADHD have higher suicide rates unfortunately… They are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors like smoking, drinking and actually binge eating probably as well,” said Stott.
The authors cautioned that the findings might overestimate the life expectancy gap since adults with ADHD may be more likely to have neurodevelopmental conditions, mental health challenges, or even both.