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Lithium revisited.

R S McIntyre·D A Mancini·S Parikh·S H Kennedy
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To review lithium's utility in the treatment of mood disorders. METHOD: We reviewed the safety, tolerability, teratogenicity, optimal dosing regimens, and mortality-lowering effects of lithium. Clinical relevance and scientific rigour determined which articles we selected for review. RESULTS: Lithium is the paradigmatic treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). In treating BD, optimal maintenance plasma levels may be approximately 0.75 to 0.85 mEq/L. Although nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is not uncommon, irreversible renal failure due to lithium appears to be a rare, idiosyncratic event. Lithium-induced cardiovascular teratology appears to be less common than previously thought. Optimal lithium dosing may be once daily, this agent appears to bestow a robust suicide-lowering effect, and emerging data hint at neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. CONCLUSION: Lithium remains an effective and integral agent in the treatment of BD. Its ability to lower suicide rates in persons with BD warrants clinical attention.

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Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting SystemsBipolar DisorderCause of DeathHumansLithium CompoundsSuicideTreatment OutcomeSuicide PreventionJournal ArticleReview

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R S McIntyre, D A Mancini, S Parikh, S H Kennedy. 2001. Lithium revisited.. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370104600402

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