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Lithium in Drinking Water and Thyroid Function

Broberg Palmgren, Karin LU orcid ; Concha, Gabriela ; Engström, Karin LU ; Lindvall, Magnus LU ; Grander, Margareta and Vahter, Marie (2011) In Environmental Health Perspectives 119(6). p.827-830
Abstract
BACKGROUND: High concentrations of lithium in drinking water were previously discovered in the Argentinean Andes Mountains. Lithium is used worldwide for treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression. One known side effect is altered thyroid function. OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between exposure to lithium from drinking water and other environmental sources and thyroid function. METHODS: Women (n = 202) were recruited in four Andean villages in northern Argentina. Lithium exposure was assessed based on concentrations in spot urine samples, measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Thyroid function was evaluated by plasma free thyroxine (T-4) and pituitary gland thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH),... (More)
BACKGROUND: High concentrations of lithium in drinking water were previously discovered in the Argentinean Andes Mountains. Lithium is used worldwide for treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression. One known side effect is altered thyroid function. OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between exposure to lithium from drinking water and other environmental sources and thyroid function. METHODS: Women (n = 202) were recruited in four Andean villages in northern Argentina. Lithium exposure was assessed based on concentrations in spot urine samples, measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Thyroid function was evaluated by plasma free thyroxine (T-4) and pituitary gland thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), analyzed by routine immuno metric methods. RESULTS: The median urinary lithium concentration was 3,910 mu g/L (5th, 95th percentiles, 270 mu g/L, 10,400 mu g/L). Median plasma concentrations (5th, 95th percentiles) of T-4 and TSH were 17 pmol/L (13 pmol/L, 21 pmol/L) and 1.9 mIU/L, (0.68 mIU/L, 4.9 mIU/L), respectively. Urine lithium was inversely associated with T-4 [beta for a 1,000-mu g/L increase = -0.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.31 to -0.068; p = 0.002] and positively associated with TSH (beta = 0.096; 95% CI, 0.033 to 0.16; p = 0.003). Both associations persisted after adjustment (for T-4, beta = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.015; p = 0.032; for TSH: beta = 0.089; 95% CI, 0.024 to 0.15; p = 0.007). Urine selenium was positively associated with T-4 (adjusted T-4 for a 1 mu g/L increase: beta = 0.041; 95% CI, 0.012 to 0.071; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to lithium via drinking water and other environmental sources may affect thyroid function, consistent with known side effects of medical treatment with lithium. This stresses the need to screen for lithium in all drinking water sources. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bipolar disorder, iodine, lithium, selenium, thyroid-stimulating, hormone, thyroxine
in
Environmental Health Perspectives
volume
119
issue
6
pages
827 - 830
publisher
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
external identifiers
  • wos:000291152000027
  • scopus:79958849406
  • pmid:21252007
ISSN
1552-9924
DOI
10.1289/ehp.1002678
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
375cc6a3-0577-46e0-8eae-790712a5cf9b (old id 1984963)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:04:15
date last changed
2022-03-30 00:15:22
@article{375cc6a3-0577-46e0-8eae-790712a5cf9b,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: High concentrations of lithium in drinking water were previously discovered in the Argentinean Andes Mountains. Lithium is used worldwide for treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression. One known side effect is altered thyroid function. OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between exposure to lithium from drinking water and other environmental sources and thyroid function. METHODS: Women (n = 202) were recruited in four Andean villages in northern Argentina. Lithium exposure was assessed based on concentrations in spot urine samples, measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Thyroid function was evaluated by plasma free thyroxine (T-4) and pituitary gland thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), analyzed by routine immuno metric methods. RESULTS: The median urinary lithium concentration was 3,910 mu g/L (5th, 95th percentiles, 270 mu g/L, 10,400 mu g/L). Median plasma concentrations (5th, 95th percentiles) of T-4 and TSH were 17 pmol/L (13 pmol/L, 21 pmol/L) and 1.9 mIU/L, (0.68 mIU/L, 4.9 mIU/L), respectively. Urine lithium was inversely associated with T-4 [beta for a 1,000-mu g/L increase = -0.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.31 to -0.068; p = 0.002] and positively associated with TSH (beta = 0.096; 95% CI, 0.033 to 0.16; p = 0.003). Both associations persisted after adjustment (for T-4, beta = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.015; p = 0.032; for TSH: beta = 0.089; 95% CI, 0.024 to 0.15; p = 0.007). Urine selenium was positively associated with T-4 (adjusted T-4 for a 1 mu g/L increase: beta = 0.041; 95% CI, 0.012 to 0.071; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to lithium via drinking water and other environmental sources may affect thyroid function, consistent with known side effects of medical treatment with lithium. This stresses the need to screen for lithium in all drinking water sources.}},
  author       = {{Broberg Palmgren, Karin and Concha, Gabriela and Engström, Karin and Lindvall, Magnus and Grander, Margareta and Vahter, Marie}},
  issn         = {{1552-9924}},
  keywords     = {{bipolar disorder; iodine; lithium; selenium; thyroid-stimulating; hormone; thyroxine}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{827--830}},
  publisher    = {{National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences}},
  series       = {{Environmental Health Perspectives}},
  title        = {{Lithium in Drinking Water and Thyroid Function}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4323489/2172409.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1289/ehp.1002678}},
  volume       = {{119}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}