TOPLINE:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rates were 24%-37% higher in adults with autism than the general population and having both conditions was linked to worse outcomes, a new cohort study showed.
METHODOLOGY:
- This population-based cohort study included more than 3.5 million Medicaid-enrolled adults aged 18 years or older (mean age, 33.5 years; 53% women; 60% White individuals) from 2008 to 2019 across all 50 states and Washington, DC.
- Participants included adults with autism with and without intellectual disability (ID), adults with ID without autism, and a random sample of Medicaid-enrolled adults from the general population.
- Outcomes included prevalence rates of co-occurring ADHD, prescriptions of ADHD medications, substance use, cardiovascular conditions, and injury across all groups.
TAKEAWAY:
- ADHD…