Adult ADHD: associated medical conditions and related factors

Objective: The study aims to investigate the prevalence of general medical conditions (GMCs) within a sample of adult with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and to ascertain whether such comorbidities may correlate with specific socio-demographic or clinical parameters. Methods: The sample included 196 outpatients with adult ADHD. Binary logistic regression (LogReg) was used to identify explanatory variables associated with GMC. Results: Ninety-four subjects (48%) had at least one GMC. ADHD patients with GMCs showed more psychiatric family history (56.7% vs 30.9%), more comorbidities with bipolar spectrum disorders (17% vs 5.9%), and greater impairment in social functioning (67% vs 52.9%). At the LogReg analysis, only the association with psychiatric family history and comorbidity with bipolar disorder remained significant. Conclusions: We observed a high prevalence of GMC among adult ADHD outpatients. The association found between GMC and a family history of psychiatric disorders allows to hypothesise that there may be a genetic predisposition substrate to both GMC and psychiatric disorders, while the association between GMC and comorbidity with bipolar spectrum disorders can be explained by the tendency of bipolar disorder itself to be associated with GMC. It appears crucial in these patients to perform routine medical examinations and to implement a healthy lifestyle.