A recent study revealed that young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who use prescription Adderall and Ritalin were 17% more likely to develop cardiomyopathy or weakened heart muscles after one year. However after eight years of taking either one of the two ADHD stimulant medications, the likelihood of having cardiomyopathy could be 57% higher compared to those who were not using them.
“You can have almost 2,000 patients on these medications for a year and you might only cause one of them to have a cardiomyopathy that they otherwise would not have had, but if you leave them on it for 10 years, 1 in 500 will have that happen,” she added.