A groundbreaking new study from Harvard Medical School suggests that lithium—a mineral long used to treat mood disorders—may offer powerful protection against Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published in the journal Nature, point to the potential of lithium to be repurposed as a treatment for one of the most devastating and widespread conditions affecting older adults.
Researchers found for the first time that lithium occurs naturally in the brain. Importantly, it also protects it from neurodegeneration.
The findings, which were a decade in the making, are based on a series of experiments in mice, as well as analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from people in various stages of cognitive Health.
Per Harvard: “The scientists found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer’s, while in mice, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology and memory decline.” These mice developed inflammation in their brains, as well as other cognitive changes associated with Aging. Some mice on a low-lithium Diet also experienced an increased buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain, an abnormality often associated with Alzheimer’s.
For mice experiencing memory loss, scientists gave them a novel lithium compound, which restored their memory.
“The results unify decades-long observations in patients, providing a new theory of the disease and a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment,” according to the Harvard report.
To date, Alzheimer’s, which affects about 400 million people globally, has stymied the scientific community, without any major development that can prevent or cure the disease. While genetic and environmental factors are thought to impact the risk of Alzheimer’s, researchers still don’t know why some people with these risk factors develop the disease, while other don’t.
The study authors hope that lithium may be a crucial missing link. “The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach,” said senior author Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard’s Blavatnik Institute.
While more research is needed, the scientists behind the study suggest that lithium’s ability to reduce inflammation in the brain, prevent the accumulation of toxic proteins such as tau and amyloid beta, and promote cellular resilience may explain its protective effects.
While several new Alzheimer’s drugs, such as Kisunla and Leqembi, received FDA approval in recent years, most offer only modest benefits. Lithium’s potential to delay onset or reduce risk could mark a significant turning point.
This study builds on earlier findings—such as a 2017 Dutch study —that found regions with higher amounts of lithium in drinking water had lower dementia rates compared with those whose tap water contained lower levels. Another large study (2022) from the United Kingdom found that people prescribed lithium were about half as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s than those in a control group.
The idea that a well-studied, affordable medication could preserve brain health would be good news indeed. Lithium has been safely used for decades in the treatment of bipolar disorder and Depression. At low doses, it may offer protective benefits without the adverse effects typically associated with long-term use.
However, this is not something you’ll want to try at home.
Since lithium has not yet been shown to be safe or effective in protecting against cognitive decline in humans, Yankner emphasizes that people should not take lithium compounds on their own. He does, however, express cautious optimism that lithium orotate or a similar compound will move forward into clinical trials soon – and it could be a game-changer in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
By identifying unexpected benefits in already-approved medications, scientists can accelerate the process of developing new treatments—especially important in diseases like Alzheimer’s, where time is of the essence.
The concept of finding new therapeutic uses for drugs that already have FDA-approval is nothing new among researchers seeking a faster and less expensive approach for treating a large range of conditions. For instance, we’ve reported widely on promising drugs for overall health and Longevity, such as metformin which was originally designed as a Diabetes drug, as well as rapamycin, initially used to prevent organ transplant rejection. And take the case of the wildly popular drug Ozempic, which was originally used to treat diabetes; doctors have been prescribing it off-label to help with obesity and weight loss. And Ozempic, and similar medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, may offer other health benefits as well, from boosting brain health to reducing chronic inflammation.
While we await larger-scale clinical trials, the lithium study certainly offers a beacon of hope. It suggests that the future of brain health may lie not only in new discoveries, but in re-examining old ones through a different lens.
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