A global team of researchers has found the first common genetic risk factors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a complex condition affecting around one in 20 children.
The team analysed genetic information from over 20,000 people affected with ADHD and over 35,000 people without the condition, the largest genetic study of ADHD to date.
Further analyses showed that genetic risk for ADHD is shared with risk for other psychiatric and physical disorders, including depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes and lower levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. The researchers also found that diagnosed ADHD appears to share much of the same genetic background as the traits of ADHD, like inattention and fidgetiness, that can be measured in the general population.
