Study Reveals Adhd's Connections to Various Health Issues

WHO:

The Washington Post - ADHD affects an estimated 15.5 million adults and roughly 7 million children in the United States.

Yahoo - Karen Stewart, a clinical psychologist based in Huntsville, Alabama, specializes in ADHD.

Yahoo - Margo Pumar, a psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD and reproductive psychiatry in San Francisco.

Yahoo - Eugene Merzon, an ADHD researcher and Israeli Health Ministry-certified ADHD diagnostician.

Yahoo - Valentin Dragoi, a professor of neuroscience at Houston Methodist Academic Institute.

Yahoo - Jeffrey Newcorn, director of the division of ADHD and learning disorders within the department of psychiatry at Mount Sinai in New York.

Yahoo - Meggan Mackay, a Lupus Research Alliance-funded researcher, rheumatologist, and professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.

WHAT:

The Washington Post - ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in the United States.

Yahoo - A growing body of evidence suggests that people with ADHD may be at risk for other health conditions, including anxiety, disordered eating, autoimmune disease, migraines, long covid, and chronic pelvic pain.

Yahoo - In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers looked at 958 adults with treatment-resistant chronic pain and found that those with "extremely severe" pain were more likely to have ADHD symptoms.

Yahoo - ADHD symptoms were about twice as common in the study group as in the general population.

Yahoo - ADHD co-occurs with disorders of immune function, such as asthma, allergies, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, and hypothyroidism.

Yahoo - One study found that children diagnosed with ADHD had elevated inflammatory markers, including higher eosinophil counts, as early as 1 year old.

WHERE:

Yahoo - Huntsville, Alabama, is where Karen Stewart practices.

Yahoo - San Francisco is where Margo Pumar practices.

Yahoo - New York is where Jeffrey Newcorn works.

WHEN:

Yahoo - A study published this spring in Scientific Reports examined adults with chronic pain.

WHY:

Yahoo - Neuroinflammation may disrupt how neurons in the brain communicate and function, resulting in ADHD's signature symptoms.

Yahoo - Ongoing inflammation may overstimulate the nervous system, worsening symptoms like pain, fatigue, and memory problems over time.

HOW:

Yahoo - Research suggests that stimulant medications used to treat ADHD and multiple types of antidepressants could help improve chronic pain and mood disorders that can occur alongside ADHD.

(UPDATED June 14, 2026 19:22 UTC)

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in the United States, affecting an estimated 15.5 million adults and roughly 7 million children. Recent research published in Scientific Reports highlights a link between ADHD and chronic pain, revealing that adults with treatment-resistant chronic pain often exhibit symptoms of ADHD at rates about twice as common as the general population. Experts in the field, including clinical psychologists and psychiatrists from various cities, suggest that stimulant medications and certain antidepressants may help alleviate both ADHD symptoms and associated chronic pain.