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By Lee Degenstein
Experts indicate that this condition is more prevalent in males by a two to one margin. In many cases, AD/HD is an inherited condition. AD/HD is a lifespan condition that affects children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. It affects both males and females, and people of all races and cultural backgrounds. Some of the symptoms of AD/HD include: a poor attention span, excess distractibility, excessive impulsivity, hyper activity, chronic procrastination, poor organization, excessive forgetfulness, frequently losing things and the inability to complete tasks. It’s important to note that these are only some of the symptoms of the condition and not every person with AD/HD has all of them. If you were in school more than say 15 or 20 years ago and had some or all of the above symptoms, you were most likely labeled as being stupid, lazy, a problem child or someone who had behavioral issues. Advances in education awareness, science and medicine have changed much of that. HealthNewsDigest.com recently spoke with Dr Joel L. Young who is the medical director and founder of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine (RCBM), a multi-disciplinary clinic providing mental health services throughout the metropolitan Detroit area. Dr. Young is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is also certified by the American Board of Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Young’s primary professional interest involves the treatment of affective disorders and the study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) through the life cycle. HealthNewsDigest.com Is difference between ADD and AD/HD the hyperactivity component? Dr. Young Basically that’s correct. The contemporary term for the condition is AD/HD. However you can have AD/HD without the hyperactivity and that’s what sometimes is called ADD. Officially ADD is referred to as AD/HD inattentive type. HealthNewsDigest.com How long has this condition been around? How long has it been diagnosed? Dr. Young AD/HD has been around as long as mankind has been around. The first reported cases are believed to have appeared at the turn of the century, but not much was known about the condition. It has only been widely diagnosed and treated in the last 40 years or so. We have seen real advances in treating this condition since the late eighties or early nineties. HealthNewsDigest.com How serious a condition is AD/HD? What are the implications? Dr. Young It’s important that people reading this article realize that this is not a trite condition. There is very clear evidence that people with AD/HD have a more difficult time. If the condition goes untreated, a patient could experience lower educational achievement. This can go on to affect them in the workplace by making it more difficult to get a job, hold on to a job or even get promoted. HealthNewsDigest.com If untreated, does AD/HD affect people in other areas of adolescence or adult life? Dr. Young Most definitely. Research indicates that in many cases if the condition goes untreated, some patients experience a higher divorce rate. Untreated patients are four times as likely to have issues with substance abuse and are also six times as likely to suffer from depression in adulthood. HealthNewsDigest.com Do the childhood symptoms of AD/HD carry into adulthood? DR. Young Yes, these symptoms do continue on through adolescence and adulthood. The one caveat here is that the hyperactivity component can tend to burn out when someone ages. However this does not occur in all patients. HealthNewsDigest.com Why does AD/HD affect young boys more than young girls by a two to one margin? Dr. Young Young boys tend to act out and have the hyperactively component more than young girls. Due to their overall behavioral disturbances, boys tend to get evaluated more often than girls. Young girls with AD/HD under perform more quietly. HealthNewsDigest.com Is the condition harder to diagnose in adults than in young children? Dr. Young As adults get more educated about the disorder or have children that are diagnosed as being AD/HD, many people have an epiphany and say the symptoms describe their own personal experience. Right now, the most typical reason that an adult might seek a diagnosis is that they either know someone or have a child who has the disorder. HealthNewsDigest.com Where would one go to seek a diagnosis for themselves or for a child? Dr. Young Many primary care doctors or family physicians feel comfortable in diagnosing AD/HD. Those professionals who don’t feel comfortable know who the appropriate referral sources are. HealthNewsDigest.com Is there a cure for AD/HD? Dr. Young No, there is no cure at the present time. The good news though is that the treatment is a lot more sophisticated than it was a few years ago. This is of course due to the release of new medicines used in AD/HD treatments. The difference between treatment and non treatment is simply put, dramatic. HealthNewsDigest.com What are the main medicines used to treat this condition? Didn’t Ritalin used to be the medication most people talked about? Dr. Young Ritalin is actually a bit passé. The trend now is moving toward longer acting medicines. Ritalin had to be taken three to four times per day and that in itself didn’t work well for a lot of people with AD/HD. There are two categories of medication for AD/HD, stimulant and non stimulant. In the stimulant category, the most prescribed medication is Adderall XR, which is manufactured by Shire. Another widely used medicine is Concerta which is made by McNeil Pharmaceutical. Focalin XR made by Novartis is also popular. In the non stimulant category there is Strattera which is made by Eli Lilly. HeathNewsDigest.com What kind of patient would benefit most from non stimulants? Dr. Young The non stimulants would be used in patients with co-morbid AD/HD and anxiety. HealthNewsDigest.com What’s the major difference between Adderall XR, Concerta and Focalin XR? Dr. Young The differences are more subtle than major. Some patients clearly respond better to one medication over another. In many ways the best approach would be a trial of each one to see where you get the best results. If you are going to treat someone chronically over time, you want to make sure they are getting the medication that works best for them. It should be pointed out that Adderall XR is the market leader followed by Concerta and Strattera. HealthNewsDigest.com Do these medications have any major risks or side affects, and are there any known long term affects? Dr. Young These medications have been around for a long time and have been thoroughly researched. Most doctors feel quite comfortable in that these medications have been proven to be very safe and effective over a long period of time. There is however some concerns about children who may have pre existing heart defects. These kids have to be watched more carefully. HealthNewsDigest.com Is it true that weight loss might be one side effect? Dr. Young A decrease in appetite has been an issue. Some patients have lost weight during the first six to eight months of use. However they tend to gain about 50% of that weight back in the ensuing months. Do you think you may have AD/HD? As Dr. Young said it may be a good idea to seek the advice of the family physician. There is a test for adults on the internet at this link: http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm. However this is NOT a diagnosis tool but it may give you an idea if you should further investigate the issue with a professional. Lee Degenstein is a Columnist at Large for HealthNewsDigest.com. He has covered the financial markets for print and broadcast media for more than 15 years. Mr. Degenstein was also the news director and morning anchor at two major radio stations in New Jersey. He has been a reporter/contributor to United Press International, The Associated Press, The Mutual Broadcasting System and New York 1 News. A former winner of the Associated Press award for 'best business story' he lives and works in New York City. Mr. Degenstein can be reached by email at: lee@healthnewsdigest.com www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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