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Drug / geroscience

Lithium

Automated longevity evidence pipeline intervention.

Where the science stands

This page summarizes the current human evidence captured in the Longevity Compass database. Result interpretation is conservative and unresolved outcomes remain unknown.

Evidence depth 69 / 100

Research path

From biological idea to human evidence

These stages show different kinds of evidence for Lithium. Moving through them does not mean an intervention is proven to slow aging.

  1. 1

    Biological idea

    Reviewing animal and laboratory research…

  2. 2

    Human testing

    3 direct aging trial links and 1 related trial links tracked. A trial count describes research activity, not benefit.

  3. 3

    What results show

    0 beneficial, 7 neutral and 0 harmful result links interpreted; 13 remain unresolved.

  4. 4

    Still unanswered

    Whether these findings translate into meaningful, lasting healthy-aging benefits in people remains unproven. Longer follow-up and clearer safety and clinical outcomes are needed.

How AgeBeacon evaluates evidence →

Beyond human trials

The bigger longevity story

Loading animal and laboratory evidence…

Animal and cell studies help explain biological plausibility and identify promising directions. They are shown separately and do not increase the human evidence-depth score.

Signals we're watching

What human studies are measuring

Metabolic health

1 result(s) are linked, but direction remains unknown.

Physical function

0 beneficial, 1 neutral, 0 harmful and 0 mixed interpreted result(s); 0 remain unknown.

Living longer

0 beneficial, 1 neutral, 0 harmful and 0 mixed interpreted result(s); 0 remain unknown.

Cognition

2 result(s) are linked, but direction remains unknown.

Research depth

Human evidence picture

Evidence depth describes how much relevant human research exists; it is not an efficacy score. Unknown results are not treated as neutral.

3
Direct aging trials
1
Indirect relevant trials
26
Publications linked
5
Results publications

Interpreted results

Beneficial
0
Neutral
7
Harmful
0
Unknown / unresolved
13

Population relevance

Healthy / aging
0
Disease-specific
0

Safety evidence

1

Trials currently identified with safety-result data.

Go to the source

Studies & publications

Inspect the original evidence behind this profile. Links open the trial registry, PubMed or the publication DOI.

Treatment of Mood and Marriage Study (TOMMS)NCT00612807INTERVENTIONAL · PHASE1/PHASE2 · 42 participants · COMPLETEDLithium As a Treatment to Prevent Impairment of Cognition in EldersNCT03185208INTERVENTIONAL · PHASE4 · 83 participants · COMPLETEDOptimizing Outcomes of Treatment-Resistant Depression in Older AdultsNCT02960763INTERVENTIONAL · PHASE4 · 742 participants · COMPLETEDPredictors of the Outcome of Late Life DepressionNCT02441387OBSERVATIONAL · 120 participants · UNKNOWNGildengers AG, Ibrahim TS, Anderson SJ, Emanuel JE, Santini T, Diaz JL, Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Lopez OL, Zeng X, de Almeida B, Alkhateeb SK, Chu C, Karikari TK, Lee L, Weinstein AM, Butters MA. Low-Dose Lithium for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2026 Apr 1;83(4):310-319. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.0072.PMID 41770546Results publicationGildengers AG, Ibrahim TS, Zeng X, Aizenstein HJ, Alkhateeb SK, Anderson SJ, Chu C, Diaz JL, Emanuel JE, Karikari TK, Li J, Lopez OL, Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Sajewski AN, Santini T, Weinstein AM, Wu M, Butters MA. The LATTICE Study: Design of a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial of lithium to delay cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2025 Jun 11;11(2):e70112. doi: 10.1002/trc2.70112. eCollection 2025 Apr-Jun.PMID 40501510Results publicationOughli HA, Ainsworth NJ, Butters MA, Brown PJ, Gebara MA, Gettinger TR, Karp JF, Lavretsky H, Lenard E, Miller JP, Mulsant BH, Nicol GE, Reynolds CF 3rd, Yingling M, Lenze EJ; OPTIMUM Research Group. Cognitive changes in older adults receiving pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: a secondary analysis of the OPTIMUM randomised controlled trial. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2025 Oct;6(10):100767. doi: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100767. Epub 2025 Nov 11.PMID 41237789Results publicationSrifuengfung M, Lenze EJ, Roose SP, Brown PJ, Lavretsky H, Karp JF, Reynolds CF 3rd, Yingling M, Sa-Nguanpanich N, Mulsant BH. Alcohol and substance use in older adults with treatment-resistant depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2024 Jun;39(6):e6105. doi: 10.1002/gps.6105.PMID 38822571Results publicationLenze EJ, Mulsant BH, Roose SP, Lavretsky H, Reynolds CF 3rd, Blumberger DM, Brown PJ, Cristancho P, Flint AJ, Gebara MA, Gettinger TR, Lenard E, Miller JP, Nicol GE, Oughli HA, Pham VT, Rollman BL, Yang L, Karp JF. Antidepressant Augmentation versus Switch in Treatment-Resistant Geriatric Depression. N Engl J Med. 2023 Mar 23;388(12):1067-1079. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2204462. Epub 2023 Mar 3.PMID 36867173Results publicationFutterman A, Gallagher D, Thompson LW, Lovett S, Gilewski M. Retrospective assessment of marital adjustment and depression during the first 2 years of spousal bereavement. Psychol Aging. 1990 Jun;5(2):277-83. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.5.2.277.PMID 2378693Linked publicationOxman TE, Berkman LF, Kasl S, Freeman DH Jr, Barrett J. Social support and depressive symptoms in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol. 1992 Feb 15;135(4):356-68. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116297.PMID 1550090Linked publicationTower RB, Kasl SV. Depressive symptoms across older spouses and the moderating effect of marital closeness. Psychol Aging. 1995 Dec;10(4):625-38. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.10.4.625.PMID 8749590Linked publicationGerson S, Belin TR, Kaufman A, Mintz J, Jarvik L. Pharmacological and psychological treatments for depressed older patients: a meta-analysis and overview of recent findings. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 1999 May-Jun;7(1):1-28.PMID 10439302Linked publicationMurrell SA, Himmelfarb S, Wright K. Prevalence of depression and its correlates in older adults. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 Feb;117(2):173-85. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113528.PMID 6829547Linked publicationSimons AD, Murphy GE, Levine JL, Wetzel RD. Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression. Sustained improvement over one year. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986 Jan;43(1):43-8. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1986.01800010045006.PMID 3942473Linked publicationBaldessarini RJ. Current status of antidepressants: clinical pharmacology and therapy. J Clin Psychiatry. 1989 Apr;50(4):117-26.PMID 2647712Linked publication

The big unanswered question

Can promising biology translate into meaningful healthy-aging benefits?

That is the standard this evidence profile is tracking. New trials and results can strengthen, weaken or change the picture over time.

Confidence: moderateScore model: v0.5-curated-ruleUpdated: 2026-09-21Source: live evidence database