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Mortality study indicates importance of persisting with lithium treatment regimen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the brown university psychopharmacology update
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7532
pISSN - 1068-5308
DOI - 10.1002/pu.30077
Subject(s) - regimen , lithium (medication) , medicine , psychopharmacology , citation , cohort , psychiatry , library science , computer science
A nationwide cohort study of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) records has found significantly reduced nonsuicide mortality over the first 90 days of lithium treatment compared with valproate treatment, but increased mortality over 180 days relative to valproate in individuals discontinuing lithium treatment. Study authors stated that their findings point to the importance of emphasizing persistence with lithium treatment and engaging in close monitoring of patients who stop treatment.