ADHD Medication Could Help Reduce Smoking Rates if Taken Consistently

There's good news for those with attention disorders: attention deficit treatments can potentially reduce one's likelihood of smoking if the medication is taken regularly.

Researchers at Duke Medicine conducted a study entitled, "Stimulant Treatment of ADHD and Cigarette Smoking: A Meta-Analysis," that was published today in the journal Pediatrics. Because individuals with attention deficit disorders are more likely to smoke, the researchers decided to examine how such behavior can be reduced.

Through using a meta-analysis, the researchers examined 14 longitudinal studies of cigarette smoking and ADHD treatment, comprised of 2,360 individuals with ADHD. Past research on the subject has shown mixed results, but the Duke Medicine study is the largest meta-analysis on the relationship between ADHD and smoking to date.

"The risk [of smoking] is further lowered when adherence to medication treatment is consistent, presumably since this increases the chances that symptoms are managed effectively," said senior author Scott Kollins, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Duke ADHD Program, in a news release.

The authors used the frequencies of smokers in the treatment or nontreatment groups of the 14 longitudinal studies and coded pertinent study characteristics, such as sample source, percentage of male participants, follow-up length, treatment consistency, type of smoking measure, prospective study, and controlling for comorbidities.

Erin Schoenfelder, Ph. D, clinical associate and psychologist in the Duke ADHD program was the other lead author of the study. She noted that stimulant medications and nicotine both operate on the same pathways in the brain, which helps indicate that those with attention deficit disorders attempt to self-medicate using nicotine.

In the end, the analysis revealed a notable relationship between attention deficit medications and lower smoking rates, with the effect being higher in more severe ADHD patients because they were most likely to take their medications consistently.