Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with childhood-onset and usually lasts into adulthood. A study done by Xu et al. (2020), looked at the association between ADHD and diabetes in adulthood in the United States. They analyzed 52,821 adults with a weighted mean age of 45.5 years and found that 1,642 of these participants had a diagnosis of ADHD and 4,631 of them had a diagnosis of diabetes. Additionally, the researchers adjusted for a variety of factors and found that there was no significant association between age, sex, race/ethnicity, or obesity status (Xu et al., 2020). This means that the association between ADHD and adult diabetes mellitus was significant and was independent of age, sex, and BMI. So what? These findings are important for two reasons. One, early screening for diabetes among those with a diagnosis of ADHD might be an important intervention to consider. Two, encouraging healthy lifestyles in children is important, but it might be even more important to those diagnosed with ADHD.
Why is it that ADHD is a possible risk factor for diabetes in adulthood? Could it have something to do with the physiology of those with ADHD or could it have something to do with the behaviors due to ADHD? Further research is needed to assess the mechanisms behind this association.
Finally, this association can be looked at under an ethical lens. At what point is knowing this association beneficial versus harmful? If the association is high and the diagnosis of ADHD is correct, one can take early measures and screening to prevent or prolong diagnosis of diabetes in adulthood. However, if ADHD is incorrectly diagnosed, negative implications that come with diagnosis may affect the person with a diagnosis unnecessarily as substantial controversy regarding correct diagnosis exists (Ford-Jones, 2015). What are your thoughts?
References:
Ford-Jones, P. C. (2015). Misdiagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: ‘Normal behaviour’ and relative maturity. Paediatrics & Child Health, 20(4), 200-202. doi:10.1093/pch/20.4.200
Xu, G., Liu, B., Yang, W., Snetselaar, L. G., & Jing, J. (2020). Association of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder with diabetes mellitus in US adults. Journal of Diabetes. doi:10.1111/1753-0407.13107
No comments:
Post a Comment