Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant used as first-line treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). CNS stimulant use is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events such as increased resting heart rate and blood pressure, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and stroke. Its safety profile in recipients of cardiovascular transplants is unknown, and more research is warranted to determine the risk of adverse cardiac events due to stimulant medication in this population.

Clinical case report, n=1

A 19-year-old female with a history of restrictive cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest, and orthotopic cardiac transplant has been treated with methylphenidate for ADHD for approximately 2 years without incident. The patient was diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 8 and 10 and historically was treated with stimulant medication. At age 13, she experienced a cardiac arrest after a volleyball game with 4–6 minutes of pulselessness. She was successfully resuscitated and underwent defibrillator placement. It was concluded that the patient had restrictive cardiomyopathy undetected at birth, leading to the need for orthotopic cardiac transplantation at age 16. After her cardiac arrest, the patient’s memory and cognition worsened, and approximately 1 year after her transplant, she was prescribed amantadine. The patient remained untreated for her ADHD until approximately 1.5 years after her cardiac transplant, at which time she underwent neuropsychological testing that showed findings consistent with attention deficit disorder, and was restarted on stimulant medication. Her transplant cardiologist and psychiatrist have collaborated in her ongoing treatment with methylphenidate 40 mg daily and monitoring symptom response and cardiac stability. Because the patient had previously been stable on stimulant medication for many years, it is reasonable to conclude that stimulant medication did not lead to her cardiac arrest. The patient reports that methylphenidate has been helpful in improving her functioning as a college student, through reduction of her ADHD symptoms. The patient’s blood pressure and heart rate remain within an acceptable range and she has not experienced any adverse cardiac events to date while taking methylphenidate.

This case sheds light on the potential to treat cardiac transplant recipients with stimulant medication for ADHD. Although a careful evaluation of risk factors must be undertaken in cooperation with cardiology and other specialists, a role exists for the safe use of stimulant medications in the cardiac transplant population.

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