Endocrinological Disorders Related to the Medical Use of Lithium. A Narrative Review

The prescribing of Lithium is common in psychiatric clinical practice. The aim of this study was to identify the most common endocrine side effects associated with this drug and to clarify the pathophysiological basis. A systematic review was conducted in Psycinfo, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. A computerised search for information was performed using a PICO (patient, intervention, comparative, outcomes) strategy. The main neuroendocrine alterations were reported in kidneys, thyroid and parathyroid glands, pancreas, and the communication pathways between the pituitary and adrenal glands. The pathophysiological mechanisms are diverse, and include the inhibition of the thyroid adenylate cyclase sensitive to the thyroid stimulant hormone (TSH) sensitive adenylate cyclase, which causes hypothyroidism. It also reduces the expression of aquaporin type 2, which is associated with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, and the loss of the ionic balance of calcium that induces hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcaemia. Other considerations are related to alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and a decrease in the production of catecholamines. Finally, another side-effect is the glycaemic dysregulation caused by the insulin resistance. Periodical clinical and para-clinical evaluations are necessary. The author proposes an evaluation scheme.