Lithium treatment associated with lowest risk of rehospitalization for bipolar disorder patients

Individuals with bipolar disorder have the lowest risk of rehospitalization if treated with lithium, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in JAMA Psychiatry. Long-acting injections of antipsychotics were also effective, reducing the risk of rehospitalization by 30 percent compared with their oral counterparts.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating periods of depression and elevated mood (mania), and is usually treated either with mood stabilizing or antipsychotic drugs. Lithium is considered to be the most effective mood stabilizer, but only a few studies have been conducted comparing the long-term effects of different drugs in bipolar disorder.

In order to determine which treatment is most effective, researchers at Karolinska Institutet compared the risk of re-admission to hospital in more than 18,000 patients in Finland who had previously been hospitalized for bipolar disorder. Each patient was used as their own control and compared during periods with and without treatment.

During an average follow-up time of more than seven years, lithium treatment was associated with the lowest risk of rehospitalization in mental or physical disease, with a risk reduction of about 30 percent compared with no treatment at all. Long-acting injections of antipsychotic drugs were also effective. The risk of re-admission was around 30 percent lower if patients were treated with long-acting injections compared to their receiving the same antipsychotic medication but orally. The most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug for bipolar disorder, quetiapine (Seroquel), which is given in tablet form, reduced the risk by only 7 percent.

"The prescription of lithium has decreased steadily in recent years, but our results show that lithium should remain the first line of treatment for patients with bipolar disorder. Long-acting injections might offer a safe, effective option for patients for whom lithium is not suitable", says Jari Tiihonen, specialist doctor and professor at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Study finds facial shape differences linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder