The effect of long-term lithium treatment on the mortality of patients with manic-depressive and schizoaffective illness.
Clinical research centers in Aarhus, Berlin, Hamilton and Vienna collected mortality data for 827 manic-depressive and schizoaffective patients given lithium treatment for more than 6 months. The average duration of the treatment was 81 months and the total time on lithium 5600 patient-years. For each patient, the mortality risk was calculated by entering the appropriate national life tables for the general population. The number of observed deaths was 44; the number of expected deaths was 49.7. The standardized mortality ratio, 0.89, did not differ significantly from 1.0. The mortality of manic-depressive patients is 2-3 times that of the general population. Our data show that the mortality of manic-depressive and schizoaffective patients given long-term lithium treatment does not differ significantly from that of the general population.
Müller-Oerlinghausen
B
B
Research Group for Clinical Psychopharmacology, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
Ahrens
B
B
Grof
E
E
Grof
P
P
Lenz
G
G
Schou
M
M
Simhandl
C
C
Thau
K
K
Volk
J
J
Wolf
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D008094:Lithium