22 Jan 2026 • Long-term data showed that children with higher attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits faced significantly worse physical health outcomes decades later.

By midlife, individuals with elevated ADHD traits at age 10 had a greater burden of chronic disease, higher rates of physical multimorbidity, and increased health-related disability compared with peers. Among more than 10,900 participants followed for 46 years, higher childhood ADHD traits were associated with a 14% rise in the odds of physical multimorbidity (OR 1.14) and a markedly greater disability burden by age 46. Participants with a high probability of meeting childhood ADHD criteria had a 42% likelihood of multimorbidity in midlife, versus 38% among those with lower trait levels. Associations with disability were stronger in women than men.

Smoking, psychological distress, and higher body mass index partially mediated these relationships, suggesting modifiable risk pathways across adulthood. The findings reinforce ADHD as a lifelong condition with implications that extend well beyond mental health into long-term physical morbidity.

Source: JAMA Network | Read full story