University of Warwick researchers\u00a0have\u00a0analyzed\u00a0data from over 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD\u00a0is\u00a0linked to an almost 50% increase in overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared with\u00a0people\u00a0without\u00a0ADHD\u00a0The\u00a0association\u00a0was even\u00a0stronger\u00a0for specific\u00a0problems: nearly double the odds of constipation, a 58% increase in irritable bowel syndrome, and more than four times the odds of encopresis (loss of bowel control).\u00a0<\/p>\n
An estimated 5% of children and 3-4% of adults\u00a0have ADHD\u00a0worldwide and\u00a0reported\u00a0diagnosis rates have risen sharply over the past 40 years. Gut problems are already well documented in autism spectrum disorder, with a growing body of evidence pointing to a ‘gut-brain axis’ linking digestive health to neurodevelopmental conditions more widely.\u00a0Until now,\u00a0the extent of\u00a0gastrointestinal symptoms in people with\u00a0ADHD has\u00a0remained\u00a0unclear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The study, published in\u00a0the Journal of Attention Disorders,\u00a0is the first systematic review to focus specifically on gut symptoms in ADHD. It draws on evidence from studies conducted around the world, including the USA, Sweden,\u00a0Germany\u00a0and South Korea, covering people aged from 2 to 65.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Co-lead Author\u00a0Sarah Blake, a\u00a0Medical\u00a0Student at\u00a0Warwick Medical School, said:\u00a0“Almost every gut symptom we looked at: constipation, IBS, even indigestion, appeared to be associated with ADHD. These symptoms can have a real impact on daily life, but they could easily be overlooked if the focus is on ADHD itself.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the exact reasons for the link between ADHD and gut problems are not clear, the researchers\u00a0outline\u00a0possible explanations. ADHD-related traits like impulsivity and irregular eating patterns may contribute to digestive symptoms, and ADHD medications are known to cause gut side effects such as constipation. There’s also evidence linking ADHD to differences in gut bacteria, which may affect the gut via the vagus nerve- major line of communication between gut and brain.<\/p>\n
The researchers say doctors treating\u00a0people with\u00a0ADHD\u00a0should\u00a0be alert to gut symptoms and consider asking about them during consultations.\u00a0Those with more complex symptoms may\u00a0benefit\u00a0from input from\u00a0a dietitian or gastroenterologist. They\u00a0stress\u00a0that\u00a0the findings show an association, not proof that ADHD causes gut problems, and call for further research to disentangle biological\u00a0factors\u00a0from\u00a0the effects of\u00a0medication.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We can’t yet say ADHD causes these gut problems, or exactly what is driving the link, but the pattern is striking enough to warrant attention. Clinicians caring for people with ADHD may want to consider asking about gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly if they may be affecting quality of life.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Dr. Saran Shantikumar, Associate Clinical Professor, Warwick Medical School<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
Journal reference:<\/p>\n
Blake, S., et al. (2026). The Association Between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders. DOI:\u00a010.1177\/10870547261469626.\u00a0https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10870547261469626<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"University of Warwick researchers\u00a0have\u00a0analyzed\u00a0data from over 1.9 million people across 23 studies and found that ADHD\u00a0is\u00a0linked to an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[6128,84,4103,8002,263745,45969,103,8018,61,60,7999,13079,89,1246],"class_list":["post-621081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-autism","tag-brain","tag-children","tag-constipation","tag-encopresis","tag-gut-brain-axis","tag-health","tag-hyperactivity","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-irritable-bowel-syndrome","tag-medical-school","tag-research","tag-syndrome"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}