Short-term cardiovascular effects of methylphenidate and Adderall

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the cardiovascular effects of Adderall (R) (ADL) in a clinic-based group of youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ranging in age from 4 to 17 years. Method: One hundred thirty-seven patients were treated with either methylphenidate (MPH) or ADL. Youths prescribed MPH were given medication twice daily, and youths treated with ADL received medication once daily. Patients were evaluated under five conditions: baseline, placebo, 5 mg/dose, 10 mg/dose, or 15 mg/dose. Resting pulse, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure were examined after 1 week at each treatment condition. Changes from baseline on these parameters were examined. Results: The short-term cardiovascular effects of both ADL and MPH were modest. No patients experienced any clinically significant change in these cardiovascular measures during the course of this brief trial. Conclusion: Since the short-term cardiovascular effects of ADL appear minimal, specific cardiovascular monitoring during short-term ADL treatment at doses of 15 mg/day or less does not appear to be indicated. In addition, under similar conditions, using similar methods, both medication treatments led to changes in blood pressure and pulse that were clinically insignificant.