A common blood pressure pill taken by millions of Britons could dramatically reduce one of the most debilitating symptoms of ADHD, promising research today suggested.
Currently available medication for the disorder comes with significant side effects including headaches, sleep disturbance and loss of appetite, with roughly a quarter of patients not responding well to any ADHD drugs.
But amlodipine, which is taken daily, may even work just as well to banish hyperactivity without any significant side effects, scientists believe.
The study on zebrafish — which share 70 per cent of their DNA with humans — found that amlodipine can combat nerve cells in the brain that fire too many electrical signals, triggering hyperactivity.
Experts who labelled the findings ‘promising’ said the drug could offer a new, safer treatment option for people with ADHD.
Dr Matthew Parker, study co-author and senior lecturer in neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said: ‘Repurposing amlodipine, a well-established blood pressure medication, offers a promising and swift pathway to address ADHD symptoms.
‘Our research indicates that, due to its existing approval and safety profile, amlodipine could be rapidly redeployed as a treatment option for ADHD, potentially providing relief to patients sooner than developing new medications.’
Amlodipine, which costs 4p per tablet, is given to patients with high blood pressure to prevent heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Amlodipine, which costs 4p per tablet, is given to patients with high blood pressure to prevent heart disease, heart attacks and strokes
Fascinating graphs show how ADHD prescriptions have risen over time, with the patient demographic shifting from children to adults with women in particular now driving the increase
It lowers blood pressure by relaxing and widening blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body.
People with ADHD can suffer debilitating symptoms including difficulty paying attention, restlessness and poorer impulse control.
The team of researchers from the UK, Iceland and Germany said of their latest findings: ‘There was a significant main effect with amlodipine causing a reduction in impulsive responses in the fish.
Writing in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, they added that this was because amlodipine suppresses neuron activity.
Scientists then separately examined the effect of amlodipine on Brits already diagnosed with ADHD.
Using data from the UK Biobank health study, they discovered that over 50 people on amlodipine also reported taking medications typically prescribed for ADHD.
These patients reported fewer mood swings and less risk-taking behaviour than those on other blood pressure drugs like ramipril, sold under the brand name Tritace, the researchers added.
NHS statistics show more than 230,000 people in England are now taking ADHD meds to combat their inattentiveness and hyperactivity.
Prescription rates jumped by a fifth last year, marking the biggest annual rise since modern records began in 2015.
Data suggests it has largely been fuelled by a rise in women in their 20s and 30s, although rates are still increasing in kids.
Experts have warned rogue private clinics are over-diagnosing the condition and have questioned the widespread prescribing of powerful stimulant drugs to treat it.
Common side effects of such drugs — of which the most well-known is Ritalin — include agitation and aggression, drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhoea and nausea and vomiting.
The booming market is thought to have been fuelled by celebrities such as model Katie Price and Love Island star Olivia Attwood talking about their ADHD ordeal and waits of up to ten years for an assessment on the NHS.
Social media sites are also full of users telling how medication helped to calm them down, control their fidgeting and boost their concentration.
But experts have also argued that ADHD was only officially listed in the UK as a disorder that affects adults in 2008.
Before then, it was just recognised as a childhood problem that kids grew out of.
As a result, rather than being over diagnosed, some experts claim many adults now being told they have ADHD have gone years having their symptoms dismissed.
