People With ADHD Might Be Twice As Likely To Face Constipation

The useful part

Gut issues like constipation are pretty common – about one in seven adults face backed-up bowels at any given point in time. A new study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders has suggested that those numbers may be even higher for those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, the systematic review and meta-analysis found greater associations between ADHD and a range of gut issues, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhoea.

How it works

• This research looked at 23 studies involving 1.9 million participants overall.
• Overall, ADHD was linked to a near 50% increase in the likelihood of any gastrointestinal symptoms.
• One of the study's lead authors, Sarah Blake, who's a medical student at Warwick Medical School, said: "Almost every gut symptom we looked at: constipation, IBS, even indigestion, appeared to be associated...

Details worth keeping

According to the paper, compared to people without ADHD, those with it appear to be: almost twice as likely to experience constipation, roughly 1.6 times more likely to have IBS, over four times more likely to experience loss of bowel control (encopresis). These symptoms can have a real impact on daily life, but they could easily be overlooked if the focus is on ADHD itself." Meanwhile, the paper itself reads: "An increase of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms is well documented in autism spect...