Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025
16:02
Demonstration of the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool for Rapid Assessment of Protein Conservation
Published on: February 10, 2023
2.6K
Cancer Risk and Estimated Lithium Exposure in Drinking Groundwater in the US
Jiajun Luo1,2, Liang Zheng3, Zhihao Jin4
1Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago Biological Science Division, Chicago, Illinois.
JAMA Network Open
|February 20, 2025
Summary
Environmental lithium exposure in drinking water was linked to a significant reduction in cancer risk across a large population study. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this protective effect of lithium.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Lithium is a mood stabilizer, and prior studies suggest it may reduce cancer risk in patients with bipolar disorder.
- The association between environmental lithium exposure and cancer risk in the general population remains unstudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between lithium concentration in drinking groundwater and cancer risk.
- To assess potential cancer-protective effects of environmental lithium exposure in the general population.
Main Methods:
- A large cohort study (N=252,178) from the All of Us Research Program.
- Estimated lithium exposure from US Geological Survey groundwater data.
- Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for confounders, analyzing cancer incidence over a median follow-up of 3.6 years.
Main Results:
- Higher estimated lithium exposure was consistently associated with reduced overall cancer risk.
- The highest quintile of lithium exposure showed a significant reduction in cancer risk (HR=0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.55) compared to the lowest.
- This association was observed across various cancer types, in both sexes, and in different US regions.
Conclusions:
- Environmental lithium exposure in drinking groundwater is associated with a lower risk of developing cancer.
- The findings suggest a potential public health benefit of lithium in drinking water.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observed association.
Related Concept Videos
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
15.1K
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
15.1K
01:36Types of Toxins
1.6K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
1.6K