Use of prescription stimulants in elderly tied to higher risk for CV events in first month: JAMA

Use of stimulants continues to increase among older adults for a variety of indications including depression, poststroke recovery, motor function, and fatigue.
Use of prescription stimulant medications in older adults increased the risk of a cardiovascular events by 40 per cent within the first thirty days of medication use finds a new research led by Mina Tadrous, Assistant Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.
The study is one of the first studies to explore the connection between cardiovascular (CV) events among older patients despite their increased baseline risk and the increasing use of stimulants to treat multiple conditions in this group.
The study was published today in JAMA Network Open
"Use of prescription stimulants in older adults has been increasing dramatically in recent years and so we need to explore any associated risk with these medications at a broad level to help improve patient awareness and safe medication use," said Mina Tadrous, a pharmacist and lead investigator of the study. "We found an increased risk in cardiovascular events like ventricular arrythmia among patients using these medications within the first thirty days of starting the medication."
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785393
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