Why the AHA says more kids need EKGs
There’s yet another danger to the rampant over diagnosis of the so-called “disease” known as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It’s bad enough that millions of children are being needlessly medicated for this invented “disorder.” And it’s even worse that the side effects that come along with the drugs can be life threatening.
Now, the American Heart Association (AHA) says that all children should be screened with electrocardiograms (EKGs) before beginning a regimen of hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder drugs. Why? Your doctor will tell you it’s because children with undiagnosed heart conditions could be vulnerable to sudden cardiac arrest and other heart problems when they take stimulant drugs that can increase their blood pressure and heart rate.
It’s true some of the children taking these drugs have had exactly that reaction. But for the AHA to assume that the heart condition came BEFORE the use of this Schedule II stimulant drug – and not to acknowledge that the heart condition could be the RESULT of the drug – is as absurd as the “disease” itself. How many kids do you know of who are walking around with heart problems?
With over 2.5 million American children on these drugs, I’m sure you can imagine the cash cow such a mandatory screening would be.
I’ve long been critical of the idea of ADHD. I believe that it is, for the most part, a made up disease that turns capitalizes on typical childhood behavior – or behavior that’s the result of too much sugar and too little discipline. I also think that it’s the most egregious example out there of a “malady” that’s being promoted by drug companies in order to expand the market for their poisons.
The mainstream media is, of course, a willing accomplice in this scam. Sadly, the mainstream medical community has bought into this nonsense as well.
Even in light of these findings, pediatric cardiologist Victoria Vetter of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine who was part of the AHA’s committee that made the recommendation said, “We don’t want children who have [ADHD] from being treated. We want to do it as safely as possible.” Vetter said that if an EKG detects a problem, the child in question should be sent to a pediatric cardiologist, and “with careful monitoring” children with heart issues can take ADHD medicines if needed.
This new warning from the AHA isn’t the only red flag that ADHD medications have gotten. Not long ago I told you about a several studies that suggest that these controversial drugs can have a lasting and negative effect on the developing brain.
These studies concluded that the animal test subjects that been subjected to an ADHD drug regiment exhibited a noticeably higher degree of “learned helplessness,” a condition marked by symptoms of depression and a tendency to give up quickly when faced with a challenge. (Sound like any kids you know?) Other similar research noted that the formerly medicated subjects responded less to rewards and reacted more to stress than the drug-free control group.
The ADHD monster will be tough to beat. The psychiatric community seems willing to gloss over any issues that are related to many downsides of ADHD medications. According to the CDC data, the following side effects linked to ADHD treatment resulted in either emergency treatment or hospitalization for those taking drugs between August of 2003 and December of 2005: Stroke
- Cardiac problems
- High blood pressure
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain and rapid heart rate
- Allergic reactions and skin rashes
- Spasms, muscle pain, and weakness
I’d urge parents and grandparents to keep this in mind whenever a teacher or a pediatrician brings up ADHD. Because if you run into the likes of Dr. Pliszka, he’ll have your child popping pills in no time. Trust me: when you hear ADHD, get your child to put his or her hyperactivity to good use and RUN in the other direction.
