The duration of lithium use and biological ageing: telomere length, frailty, metabolomic age and all-cause mortality

• DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01142-y
• Publication Date: 2024-03-28T03:01:50Z
• Authors: Julian Mutz; Win Lee Edwin Wong; Timothy R. Powell; Allan H. Young; Gavin S. Dawe; Cathryn M. Lewis
• Keywords: Biological age

Lithium is an established first-line treatment for bipolar disorder. Beyond its therapeutic effect as a mood stabiliser, lithium exhibits potential anti-ageing effects. This study aimed to examine the relationship between duration of use, biological ageing and mortality. The UK Biobank observational middle-aged older adults. We tested associations use (number prescriptions, total first prescription period) telomere length, frailty, metabolomic age (MileAge) delta, pulse rate all-cause Five hundred ninety-one individuals (mean = 57.49 years; 55% females) had been prescribed lithium. There was no evidence that number prescriptions (β - 0.022, 95% CI 0.081 0.037, p 0.47), 0.005, 0.023 0.013, 0.57) or period 0.018, 0.051 0.015, 0.29) correlated with length. also frailty MileAge delta. However, higher count longer associated lower rate. did not predict observed markers, including Our findings suggest effects do differ by use.