Association Between Natural Lithium Exposure and Suicide Rate: An Ecological and Biomonitoring Study in Portugal.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Higher lithium (Li) levels in drinking water have been linked to lower suicide rates in the general population in several ecological studies, though this relationship is not always consistent. The main limitation of such studies is the assumption that Li content in drinking water is directly correlated with total Li intake, which may not always be the case for several reasons. Methods: In this context, we conducted a biomonitoring study to compare urinary Li levels-assumed as a reliable indicator of total Li intake-among individuals from three regions with different suicide relative risks (RRs): Porto Metropolitan Area (PMA; low RR), Central region (CT; intermediate RR), and Trás-os-Montes region (TM; high RR). Each participant provided a urine sample (

SUBMITTER: Goncalves C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11990145 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature