[_yb2s]

This is just pure (somewhat informed) speculation.

ADHD is diagnosed roughly twice as often in men than women, and when diagnosed in women it is much more likely to be of primarily inattentive rather than hyperactive type compared to men. Many suspect ADHD may not actually be rarer in women, but just that the inattentive type is harder to diagnose, and more often never diagnosed- mostly because it is less disruptive to others in school settings.

I speculate that the women that are diagnosed are much more enriched for severe inattentive type ADHD, and I also speculate that inattentive type has a shorter life expectancy than hyperactive type. Just judging from myself, and other adults I know with ADHD: the hyperactive type ones tend to remain really physically active even into old age- unusually so, and the inattentive type tend to have a lot more depression, anxiety, and stress.

[hirvi74]

Isn't the combined type the most common, or has that type gone away? I find that people that are hyperactive tend to be more impulsive, and if I am not mistaken, impulsivity is the strongest correlated factor in determining longevity in humans. However, I could be wrong about the levels of impulsivity being different. That's just conjecture on my part.