Adults with ADHD have shorter lifespans, study finds

More than 15 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, and a new study suggested that means more than 15 million people are also at risk of living shorter lives. A U.K. study published this week found a link between ADHD and shorter life expectancy.

For the study, researchers looked at more than 30,000 people diagnosed with the disorder. They found men with ADHD lived an average of seven years less than those who didn’t have it. Women with ADHD had a lifespan of about nine years shorter.

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That’s not all researchers found

The study also found a link between ADHD and a higher risk of mental health issues like anxiety, depression and suicide. It also showed those with ADHD had a higher association with “harmful habits” like smoking or drinking heavily.

Autism, intellectual disabilities and physical health problems like diabetes or high cholesterol were more prevalent among those with ADHD, as well.

Previous studies agree

This is not the first study to find a correlation between ADHD and a shorter life expectancy. A 2022 study examining people in the United States and Europe came to the same conclusion.

A similar study in 2019 also found children with ADHD who were followed into adulthood had a shorter life expectancy of about eight years, as well as more years of unhealthy living.