Association of Lithium Treatment With Reduced Left Ventricular Concentricity in Patients With Bipolar Disorder

Existing data indicate that lithium treatment may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients with bipolar disorder (BD).1-3 Our recent pilot study demonstrated that longer lithium exposure was associated with favorable diastolic function among patients with BD.4 The findings suggest that lithium treatment may help prevent heart failure in individuals with BD. However, few studies so far have investigated the association between lithium treatment and cardiac structure in patients with BD. Among the geometric patterns of myocardium, left ventricular (LV) concentric remodeling and LV concentric hypertrophy are characterized by increased wall thickness and are jointly referred to as LV concentricity.5 Substantial evidence has indicated that LV concentricity is a critical risk marker of heart failure.5 The current study aimed to evaluate whether lithium treatment was associated with favorable LV geometric patterns among patients with BD.