bipolar disorder is not what it used to be. And today, we'll bring you updates on lithium

from the 2003 International Bipolar Conference.

Welcome to the Carlisat Psychiatry Podcast, keeping psychiatry honest since 2003.

I'm Chris Aiken, the editor-in-chief of the Carliste Psychiatry Podcast, keeping psychiatry honest since 2003. I'm Chris Aiken, the editor-in-chief of the Carlatte Psychiatry Report.

And I'm Kelly Newsom, a psychiatric MP and a dedicated reader of every issue.

We noticed a lot more chatter about lithium at the 2023 bipolar conference than we did at past conferences.

Patients spoke of it as life-changing, and researchers were recommending at first line. One even said

that the main advantage of the antipsychotics was that they reminded us all how well-comparatively,

well-tolerated lithium is. There's a reason for this. More studies have come out in the

past few years, showing superior benefits with lithium. Studies in children encourage the FDA to

lower the age cutoff for their approval from 12 to 7. On the medical side, studies suggest that lithium

treats and prevents COVID and other viral

illnesses. It is anti-aging effects at the level of the DNA and prevents dementia,

stroke, cancer and neurological illnesses. Lithium has cardiac risks, mainly arrhythmias,

but it also promotes cardiac remodeling after an injury to the heart.

And in 2023, the International Society for Bipolar Disorders put out a position paper that

recommended lithium first line in the early course of bipolar disorder.

Today, you'll learn that lithium goes beyond symptom management to improve functioning,

but its benefits take a few months to kick in.

It's better tolerated the most mood stabilizers in the ways that patients care about.

But despite all this good news, rates of lithium prescriptions are on the decline,

and that's where we need this practice upgrade for 2023.

...