New Studies Show: ADHD Medication Not Effective Long Term And AIDS Vaccine May Increase Risk…
Glastonbury – This is a very “touchy” subject. If your child has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), you know this to be true. And you are also not alone…
According to ADHD statistics:
- About 1% to 3% of the school-aged population has the full ADHD syndrome, without symptoms of other disorders. Another 5% to 10% of the school-aged population has a partial ADHD syndrome or one with other problems, such as anxiety and depression present.
- Another 15% to 20% of the school-aged population may show transient, subclinical, or masquerading behaviors suggestive of ADHD. A diagnosis of ADHD is not warranted if these behaviors are situational, do not produce impairment at home and school, or are clearly identified as symptoms of other disorders.
- Gender and age affect the ways in which people with ADHD express their symptoms. Boys are about three times more likely than girls to have symptoms of ADHD.
- Symptoms of ADHD decrease with age, but symptoms of associated features and related disorders increase with age. Between 30% and 50% of children still manifest symptoms into adulthood.
- A classroom with 30 students will have between 1 and 3 children with ADHD.
- Boys are diagnosed with ADHD 3 times more often than girls.
- Emotional development in children with ADHD is 30% slower than in their non-ADD peers. This means that a child that is 10 years old will have the emotional development of a 7 year old, a 20 year old will have the emotional maturity of a 14 year old.
- One fourth of children with ADHD have serious learning disabilities such as: oral expression, listening skills, reading comprehension and/or math.
- 65% of children with ADHD exhibit problems in defiance or problems with authority figures. This can include verbal hostility and temper tantrums.
- 75% of boys diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have hyperactivity.
- 60% of girls diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have hyperactivity.
- 50% of children with ADHD experience sleep problems.
- Teenagers with ADHD have almost four times as many traffic citations as non-ADD/ADHD drivers. They have four times as many car accidents and are seven times more likely to have a second accident.
- 21% of teens with ADHD skip school on a regular basis, and 35% drop out of school before finishing high school.
- 45% of children with ADHD have been suspended from school at least once.
- 30% of children with ADHD have repeated a year in school.
And for many years, many parents believed medication was the best option for their ADHD diagnosed children. And why wouldn’t they?
In 1999, a study concluded that after one year, medication worked better than behavioral therapy.
This finding skyrocketed prescription rates of ADHD drugs like Ritalin and Concerta.
But now a study obtained by the BBC's Panorama program 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.
After longer-term analysis, the report's co-author, Professor William Pelham of the University of Buffalo, said: “I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study.”
“We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn't happen to be the case.”
“There's no indication that medication is better than nothing in the long run.”
Professor Pelham said there were “no beneficial effects” of medication and the impact was seemingly negative instead.
“The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth so they weren't growing as much as other kids both in terms of their height and in terms of their weight,” he said.
According to the BBC News, “The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is currently revising the treatment guidelines for ADHD. Chair of the working group, Dr. Tim Kendall, said they were devising a strategy, which was likely to involve training for parents as well as “behavioral interventions”.
“The important thing is that we have an approach which doesn't focus just on one type of treatment,” Dr Kendall said.
And now something completely different but equally important…
According to a November 13th, 2007 Reuters report, “Thousands of people who volunteered to test an experimental AIDS vaccine that may have actually raised the risk of infection will be told if they got the actual shot, researchers said.”
In the study, some participants received the actual vaccine and others got a “fake.” This is common practice in studies to see if the results are actually from the substance they are testing… or just placebo. Usually, participants never know which group they were a part of.
But now, Merck & Co. Inc. and researchers said they would inform everyone who got the active vaccine shot versus the “fake.” Why?
Because two international trials of the experimental vaccine were stopped in September after it became clear the vaccine did not prevent infection with the AIDS virus.
And then, according to Reuters, in early November 2007, “researchers said they saw some worrying indications that the vaccine somehow raised the risk of infection, although they stressed the vaccine could not itself cause HIV infection.”
“All study volunteers will be encouraged to continue to return to their study sites on a regular basis for ongoing risk reduction counseling and study-related tests,” the researchers said in a statement.
It is obvious from both ADHD medications and AIDS vaccinations… as a health care consumer… you must be aware of ALL your options and be sure the “treatment” you choose does not put you at risk or make you worse. Drugs and invasive treatments are not always the answer.
Read the rest of January 2008 The Healthy Back and Neck...
January 2008
- Article - New Studies Show: ADHD Medication Not Effective Long Term And AIDS Vaccine May Increase Risk…
- Inspirational quote
- Inspirational story
- Featured product -The Linear Gravity Neck Pillow
- Testimonial of the month - "I have C4-6 mild disc bulges, central canal stenosis and foraminal compromise. It has affected my finger function for what I need to do to earn a living”…
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