Safety and Efficacy of Lithium for Treating Bipolar Disorder In the Older Adult

Abstract

The population of older adults with bipolar disorder is growing, not only because of the increase in the percentage of the population 65 years of age and older, but also because of an increase in awareness about mental health issues in this population. For years, lithium has been one of the first-line options for treating bipolar disorder, but data in the older population have mostly been inconclusive or extrapolated from younger populations. Questions of tolerability and safety in the older adult have also arisen, as well as its efficacy in comparison to newer agents on the market. This manuscript aims to examine the evidence of lithium use in the older adult and whether or not this drug should still be recommended for use in this population.