The effect of short term lithium carbonate in Type II diabetes mellitus

The metabolic response to a standard 50 g carbohydrate breakfast was evaluated over 3 hours in 6 Type II maturity onset diabetic patients before and after 1 week of lithium carbonate administration (serum Lithium 0.5-1.5 mmol/l). Plasma glucose response was significantly less after lithium between 60 and 180 minutes but plasma insulin did not change. Insulin/glucose ratios fell by 17.3% at 60 minutes and rose by 14.2% at 180 minutes. There were no significant changes in free fatty acid and lactate concentrations. Mean serum calcium rose slightly but significantly during the treatment period from 2.17 +/- 0.04 to 2.26 +/- 0.03 mean +/- SEM mmol/l. It is concluded that diabetes is not worsened by lithium, at least during short term therapy.