Article Analysis
The study chosen for this analysis is the one by Hennessy et al. (2009) dedicated to the cardiovascular safety of ADHD medications. It is describing a study that is yet in progress and focuses on the data gathered from two large databases (5 Medicaid programs and the HealthCore Integrated Research Database). The authors aim to gather data from as many as 500 000 users of ADHD medications of 3-17 years of age and 200 000 users who are above 18 years of age. It is the largest study dedicated to the cardiovascular safety of ADHD medications providing information both for kids and adults, which makes it a valuable asset.
The paper predicts contribution of the important information dedicated to the safety of ADHD medications widely used for the treatment of patients around the globe. Still, it involves certain limitations, such as the expected low event rate in adolescents and kids. Moreover, a potential increased cardiovascular risk can be missed in case of long-term exposure to ADHD medications.
Based on this article, I understood that studying the given problem from various standpoints is very important and that it is a good idea to gather large population for the research. I am sure that this study will become a big step forward in making ADHD medications safer and more efficient in treating both adults and children.
References
Hennessy, S., Schelleman, H., Daniel, G. W., Bilker, W. B., Kimmel, S. E., Guevara, J., & Strom, B. L. (2010). Cardiovascular safety of ADHD medications: rationale for and design of an investigator‐initiated observational study. Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, 19(9), 934-941.
