ADHD medication may delay boys’ puberty
September 21st, 2011 - 6:30 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattWashington, Sept 21 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Researchers in a new study into the effect of the medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children have announced that the active ingredient may delay puberty in boys. The study was conducted in animals and it has not yet been conducted in people.
Millions of children are given drugs containing the active ingredient methylphenidate around the world. The chemical was tested in younger monkeys under the age of 5 years. The researchers admitted that they were shocked with the effect that the drug had on the animals. The scientists report however that the effect that the drug had on the animals was reversed when the medication was stopped.
The researchers noted that the hypothesis of the study was to determine if methylphenidate was capable of damaging the DNA. However during the study, they realized that the animals given the drug had reduced size of the testes. The drug also reduced the testosterone level of the animals and delayed the descent of the testes as well.
The animals were given high doses of the drug during the study and the changes to their physiology became more evident when the treatment was prolonged.
The research was conducted by scientists from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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