title: A synopsis on metals in medicine and psychiatry.
abstract: A total of 40 metals are reviewed and summarized to give a general perspective on the metal's two major effects, relevant to medicine and psychiatry in man. These two effects are metal excess (poisoning) and deficiency. These metals are grouped arbitrarily into six categories; (a) The heavy metals, (b) the essential and questionable essential trace elements, (c) the macrominerals, (d) the alkali metals, (e) elements used as therapeutic agents, and (f) miscellaneous elements. The heavy metals are invariably toxic and could be lethal, and no deficiency state has yet been described in man, although arsenic has been postulated to be essential. The essential trace elements are vital to a number of vital physiological and biochemical functions, and newer essential trace elements are to be identified in the future. The recent findings suggest vanadium excess may aggravate the affective symptoms in bipolar affective disorder; selenium may inhibit certain carcinogenesis such as oesophageal cancer; and silicon may inhibit atheromatous formation in the aorta. There is also some suggestion that certain allergic syndromes may be correlated with very low levels of iron, copper, manganese. The study of elements will undoubtedly expand the understanding of disease processes in medicine and psychiatry.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008672:Metals, Alkali / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008903:Minerals / Q000009:adverse effects; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D008672:Metals, Alkali; D008903:Minerals; D014131:Trace Elements