<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">


<bold>Background:</bold> Adverse effects of stimulants on growth in children have long been studied, but the results remain to be clarified, because metabolic changes or predictors accompanying the growth deviations were not sufficiently studied.

<bold>Objective:</bold> This open label-prospective study investigated the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on weight, height, blood biochemistry in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

<bold>Method:</bold> Prepubertal boys treated with MPH in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at Antalya Training and Research Hospital in Health Sciences University, Turkey were recruited. Height and weight z-scores and fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and 6th month. Changes were compared by paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Any association between the changes in growth and biochemical values was analyzed by Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation. The statistical significance threshold was p&lt;0.01.

<bold>Results:</bold> 31 boys aged 74 to 104 months were enrolled in the study sample (mean=87.6, Standard Deviation (SD)=9.2). Osmotic release oral system-MPH (18 mg/day) was used in 77.4% (N=24) and immediate release-MPH (5 mg three times a day) in 22.5% (N=7). Average daily drug dose was 0.66 mg/kg (SD=0.12). Baseline weight z-score was 0.63 (SD=1.12), decreased significantly at 6 months (0.24 [SD=1.04]) (Z=-4.44, p=0.000, r=0.5) (median z-score was 0.53 at baseline, -0.11 at 6 months). Baseline height z-score (0.23[SD=0.87]) was not suppressed significantly at 6 months (0.28[SD=0.85])(t(30) = ‒1.50, <italic>p</italic>=0.14).
Glucose (t(30) = -4.33, <italic>p</italic>=0.000, r=0.6), creatinine (t(30)=-3.28, <italic>p</italic>=0.003, <italic>r</italic>=0.5) and 25OH-VitD (N=29, Z=-3.98, <italic>p</italic>=0.000, <italic>r</italic>=0.5) increased but alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased (t(28)=3.63, <italic>p</italic>=0.001, <italic>r</italic>=0.5). The differences in W-SDS and ALP were positively correlated (<italic>r</italic>=0.47, <italic>p</italic>=0.009).

<bold>Conclusions:</bold> Our results indicate the importance of monitoring blood variables that may accompany growth changes early in MPH treatment and should be further assessed in larger samples.
</abstract>

Background: Adverse effects of stimulants on growth in children have long been studied, but the results remain to be clarified, because metabolic changes or predictors accompanying the growth deviations were not sufficiently studied.

Objective: This open label-prospective study investigated the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on weight, height, blood biochemistry in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Method: Prepubertal boys treated with MPH in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at Antalya Training and Research Hospital in Health Sciences University, Turkey were recruited. Height and weight z-scores and fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and 6th month. Changes were compared by paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Any association between the changes in growth and biochemical values was analyzed by Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation. The statistical significance threshold was p<0.01.

Results: 31 boys aged 74 to 104 months were enrolled in the study sample (mean=87.6, Standard Deviation (SD)=9.2). Osmotic release oral system-MPH (18 mg/day) was used in 77.4% (N=24) and immediate release-MPH (5 mg three times a day) in 22.5% (N=7). Average daily drug dose was 0.66 mg/kg (SD=0.12). Baseline weight z-score was 0.63 (SD=1.12), decreased significantly at 6 months (0.24 [SD=1.04]) (Z=-4.44, p=0.000, r=0.5) (median z-score was 0.53 at baseline, -0.11 at 6 months). Baseline height z-score (0.23[SD=0.87]) was not suppressed significantly at 6 months (0.28[SD=0.85])(t(30) = ‒1.50, p=0.14).
Glucose (t(30) = -4.33, p=0.000, r=0.6), creatinine (t(30)=-3.28, p=0.003, r=0.5) and 25OH-VitD (N=29, Z=-3.98, p=0.000, r=0.5) increased but alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased (t(28)=3.63, p=0.001, r=0.5). The differences in W-SDS and ALP were positively correlated (r=0.47, p=0.009).

Conclusions: Our results indicate the importance of monitoring blood variables that may accompany growth changes early in MPH treatment and should be further assessed in larger samples.

Effects of methylphenidate on height, weight and blood biochemistry parameters in prepubertal boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an open label prospective study

Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Background: Adverse effects of stimulants on growth in children have long been studied, but the results remain to be clarified, because metabolic changes or...

Effects of methylphenidate on height, weight and blood biochemistry parameters in prepubertal boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an open label prospective study

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Sep 09, 2021

Page range: 163 - 173

Received: Oct 09, 2020

Accepted: Aug 17, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2021-018

Keywords
Methylphenidate, weight, height, blood biochemistry, ADHD

© 2021 Ahmet Çevikaslan et al., published by sciendo.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effects of methylphenidate on height, weight and blood biochemistry parameters in prepubertal boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an open label prospective study

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Sep 09, 2021

Page range: 163 - 173

Received: Oct 09, 2020

Accepted: Aug 17, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2021-018

KeywordsMethylphenidate, weight, height, blood biochemistry, ADHD

© 2021 Ahmet Çevikaslan et al., published by sciendo.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Methylphenidate, weight, height, blood biochemistry, ADHD