Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not only specific to kids; the condition can also be seen in adults even past the age of 60, a new Dutch study has found.
According to MedPage Today, Sandra Kooij of the European Network of Adult ADHD reported at the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) meeting that there are about three percent of adults past their 60's in Netherlands who still suffer from the mental disorder.
ADHD was once considered as a disorder common among children, but further studies found that adults can carry the symptoms too.
Using statistical modeling to determine the prevalence of the condition, Kooij and her team found that out of 231 participants studied, 2.8 percent and 4.2 percent had syndromatic ADHD and symptomatic ADHD, respectively.
The researchers then concluded that ADHD does not disappear as the patient reaches adulthood.
Despite the recent findings, researchers suggest that more studies should be done to probe deeper into how the condition will affect older adults.
In relation to the Dutch study, Dr. Lenard Adler, a New York University School of Medicine professor of psychiatry, said that about 60 percent of children who have ADHD can grow up into adults who still have the condition, according to NPR.
The difference is that adults learn how to live with their condition and they have come up with a system to deal with their focus or attention problems.
Adults who have ADHD require the same intervention as children — drugs, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Medications intended for ADHD are just as effective in adults as in children.
However, there's a caveat — the older population have other health issues such as heart disease and hypertension. As a precaution, doctors should be careful when they prescribe the treatments to the older population.
