FDA Report: Kids & ADHD Meds | ADHD Information

What is everyone making of the June 16th FDA report on sudden death and ADHD meds and children? From the WSJ:

"The study compared 564 healthy children who died suddenly to 564 who died in a motor-vehicle accident. The study found that two patients in the motor-vehicle group were taking stimulants, while 10 in the group of those who died suddenly were taking the medicines. The children died between 1985 and 1996, before certain stimulants, such as Adderall, became more commonly used."

A small study, but I do wonder what this is about.

OTOH, my son, unmedicated, is 10 x more likely to be in a motor-vehicle accident!!!

I don't think this study produces any new data.  Remember when they came out w/ the study that says that kids w/ preexisting heart conditions are at increased risk of death after taking stimulants?  That's when the recommendations came out to get EKGs (or is it EEGs?) before starting a stimulant.  I don't see how this study is any different.  As far as I can tell, they didn't control for this variable (whether or not there was a preexisting heart condition). 

From what I read, they *did* control for pre-existing heart conditions. That's what made me sit up and take notice.

OTOH, as my husband noted, kids with ADHD are more susceptible to sudden death -- impulsive behavior, drug use, etc. -- just by the nature of the disorder, so the ones on ADHD meds were already from a high-risk group, whether or not they were taking med. Does that make sense?

I don't know. Freaked me out a little, but it is for certain that my DS is *way more* likely to die from his impulsive behavior when unmedicated than he is to die from the medicine!

We did all the EKG stuff, blood pressure checks, all just fine. Meds work really well, so we don't want to stop but I'm always trying to learn whatever there is to be learned about this.
TillyT-

I am new to this forum. I had posted once before and
then hadn't in quite a while. I have realized it is good
to just come on here and read, so I know there are other
parents out there who have the same issues and thoughts
as I do...so anyway..here is my question...

how often do you do the EKg and blood pressure checks?
someone told me I should go to a neurologist and have my
son checked..what do you think about that? Right now he
just goes to a behavioral center and sees a type of
psychiatrist, I guess you can call her that. she is
great, but I do not think we get his vitals checked
enough..any thoughts? He was on concerta, with some
chlonodine to help with the tics he gets.
Thanks for listening..I am a nervous parent when it comes
to meds... My sons vitals get checked every 2-3 months. He gets an ekg  once a year. TillyT, interesting.  Now that you say that, I have vague recollections of that info.  Didn't it also say that, if there'd been just 1 or 2 more people in the control group to die, then the results would have been a statistically insignifcant difference?  I forget exactly why now, but that study didn't alarm me.