Lithium Deficiency

There have been several headlines in the last few weeks about lithium possibly being beneficial for treating Alzheimer’s Disease. As is often the case, there is more behind the headlines than it would first appear.

We have used lithium for years to treat bipolar disorder. So, we know it has an effect on neurological processes.

What we also know is that it can be a dangerous drug. It requires careful blood level monitoring. Too high a dose can cause toxicity. Symptoms of toxicity can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. There are instances where lithium toxicity has been fatal. Therefore, it is not something to be rushing out to get.

Lithium usually requires a prescription. It comes in the form of lithium carbonate. As noted above, it requires careful monitoring when prescribed.

There are low dose lithium supplements available over the counter. They are not FDA approved. They have no useful value as far as we know. We do know that low dose lithium can interact with certain medications. They may not be safe at all for individuals with thyroid or kidney problems.

Over the years, there has been some evidence that lithium has a protective effect on the brain. There has also been evidence that lithium can bind to the amyloid substance found in brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s Diseases.

A recent study which has produced all the headlines was published in early August. In this particular study there were several aspects to it. The first involved a test called mass spectrometry. They looked at the brains of older individuals, both normal and with cognitive  impairment. It showed decreased lithium levels in those with cognitive impairment.

Then the amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s patients were checked with a laser absorption technique. They had high levels of lithium. So the abnormal brain was absorbing lithium and the normal brain had less than it should.

The authors then looked at mice brains that had a lot of amyloid. Those brains also had high levels of lithium in the amyloid.

Healthy mice were then fed a diet very low in lithium. The result was increased amyloid occurring in the brain. The amyloid had high levels of lithium in it. The normal part of the brain was deficient in lithium. This was consistent with what they measured in human subjects.

They looked at learning effects of low lithium levels. The low levels of lithium increased aging in the mice. Mice with low levels had impaired learning of skills and poor long term memory. The lessons from this study are multiple. The first is that a low lithium level is bad for the brain if you are a mouse. The second is that lithium is deficient in patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. Those are two separate findings. At this point, much more information is needed before it can be applied to human subjects. It is an issue of two true statements that may or may not be related.

The other issue is that taking a lithium supplement is not a good idea. The amounts present are low. They have not been approved by the FDA. Lithium is a dangerous substance when too much of it is taken. That means it will be a significant period of time before recommendations on using prescription level lithium are published. The headlines tell a very small part of the lithium story.