Lithium therapy in bipolar disorder: a balancing act?

5provide clear evidence of the potential risks associated with long-term lithium treatment. But because bipolar disorder typically emerges at a young age 6 and requires lifelong treatment, these fi ndings prompt the question: how can these hazards be navigated? The answer is twofold. First, avoid sustained periods during which plasma lithium concentrations are high to diminish the risk of serious adverse eff ects. Second, all the parameters that need regular assessment, such as thyroid and renal function tests and plasma lithium and calcium concentrations, can be measured reliably and easily. However, the treatment of type I bipolar