Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Drugs for ADHD 'not the answer'

Click here.

Treating children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with drugs is not effective in the long-term, research has shown.

A study obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme says drugs such as Ritalin and Concerta work no better than therapy after three years of treatment.

The findings by an influential US study also suggested long-term use of the drugs could stunt children's growth.

It said that the benefits of drugs had previously been exaggerated.

The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD has been monitoring the treatment of 600 children across the US since the 1990s.

Well, bad news for Big Pharma, good news for the rest of us. I don't really get why perfectly rational doctors prescribe drugs that can harm the patient. Perhaps it's their training? Were they hardened to the point that side effects (or no-effects) are part or treatment? I have to interview a fresh graduate for this.

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