Background: Alterations in the serum lipid profile have been suspected in many psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. However, studies on lipid status in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are sparse and inconsistent. Methods: Using the nationwide, population-based IQVIA Disease Analyzer database, this retrospective cohort study included 5367 outpatients from general practices in Germany aged ≥18 years with a documented first diagnosis of ADHD between January 2005 and December 2021 and 26,835 propensity score-matched individuals without ADHD. Study outcomes were the first diagnosis of lipid metabolism disorders as a function of ADHD within up to 10 years of the index date. The cumulative 10-year incidence was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using the log-rank test. In addition, univariate Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: In the regression analysis, there was no significant association between ADHD and subsequent lipid metabolism disorders in the total population (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.83-1.08), among women (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.84-1.28), and among men (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.74-1.06). In addition, no significant association was observed in the disease-stratified analyses. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that ADHD does not exert an influence on lipid metabolism. However, further investigation is warranted, particularly with respect to pharmacological interventions.
Keywords: Germany; adult ADHD; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; epidemiology; lipid metabolism disorder; lipid profile.