Matt and psychiatrist Jon Berner discuss lithium's potential as a mood stabilizer for conditions like bipolar disorder and its emerging role in Alzheimer’s disease and life extension. They explore data supporting its effectiveness in preventing premature dementia, the challenges of dose optimization, biological mechanisms, and the complexities of human studies. Dr. Berner, who has practiced psychiatry since 1997 and has published extensively on mood disorders, holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from UCLA and a B.A. in psychology from Harvard.

Key Points:

The podcast explores lithium's potential in preventing Alzheimer's and extending lifespan, supported by recent studies. While promising, lithium's use is limited by side effects and the need for personalized dosing​.

• Lithium's Potential in Alzheimer's Prevention: Recent data supports lithium’s role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Studies, including a double-blind trial in Brazil, show that lithium can reduce key biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s, offering hope for its broader application in ageing.
• Lithium’s Role Beyond Psychiatry: Originally prescribed for mood stabilization in bipolar disorder, lithium has been shown to extend lifespan and reduce suicide rates. Its impact on lifespan has been observed even in natural variations of lithium levels in water supplies.
• Scientific Confidence in Lithium’s Efficacy: Various studies, including those on patients with mild cognitive impairment and animal models, demonstrate lithium’s ability to slow ageing and cognitive decline, with notable human data showing a reduction in progression of cognitive impairment.
• Challenges with Lithium Usage: Although lithium shows promise, it is not widely adopted outside psychiatry due to concerns over side effects like kidney stress. Moreover, about 30% of individuals cannot tolerate lithium well, which complicates its broader use.
• The Complexity of Lithium’s Mechanisms: Lithium’s biological action is thought to involve the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase and mitochondrial support, although the exact mechanisms are still being studied. Its influence on mitochondrial health may play a key role in neurodegeneration prevention.
• The Need for Personalized Medicine: The discussion highlights the importance of finding the right lithium dosage for individual patients, given its varying effects. Lithium could potentially become part of a broader cocktail of anti-ageing treatments, but further studies are needed to establish optimal usage.