The newest findings on lithium in mood disorders and beyond: A narrative review

The paper presents a narrative review of pivotal findings published between 2021 and the present concerning key topics in lithium administration. The research on a possible kidney injury during long-term lithium treatment has pointed to a lesser prevalence of such a complication than was thought, as well as to the possibility of successful management, preventing the necessity of lithium discontinuation. The anti-suicidal effect of lithium has been confirmed in new meta-analyses, although there have also been skeptical publications on this topic. The novel data on the negative association between lithium in drinking water and suicide were provided from such countries as Hungary, Iran, and Lithuania. Several studies have also demonstrated that lithium administration reduces all-cause mortality and improves outcomes in many somatic conditions. As bipolar disorder is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, lithium treatment causes a significant decrease in such a risk. Lithium can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular (e.g., stroke) conditions, some kinds of cancer, and the incidence of asthma. Regarding the antiviral effects of lithium against herpesviruses, as shown in clinical studies, and against coronaviruses, as shown in experimental research, there is evidence that the drug may have a modest preventive effect against COVID-19. As to the neuroprotective effect of lithium, a reduction of dementia risk was shown in patients with bipolar disorder, which is a condition associated with an increased possibility of dementia. Recent studies have also brought novel data on the possible therapeutic effects of lithium in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. There have also been next papers deploring a relative decrease in lithium administration despite favorable data on its effects and appealing for better education about lithium.