Does lithium in drinking water cause a rare heart condition?
Children living in areas with higher levels of lithium in drinking water were more likely to be diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that can cause a dangerously fast heartbeat, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers.
A new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco has found that children living in areas with higher levels of lithium in their drinking water were more likely to be diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a rare heart condition characterized by a fast heartbeat. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, examined health and water-quality data for over 2.3 million children in California and nearly 2 million children in New York.
Children in counties with lithium levels in the highest 25% had 71% greater odds of a WPW diagnosis compared to those in counties with lower levels. Lithium is naturally present in groundwater and its concentration varies by location. While the study does not prove that lithium causes WPW, it suggests that lithium in drinking water may be an environmental factor that could be modifiable.
The research underscores the importance of collecting environmental data and understanding how various factors, including those present in our environment, may impact health. WPW occurs when an extra strand of heart muscle creates an abnormal electrical connection, which can lead to a rapid heart rhythm and potentially increase the risk of sudden death.
However, the study does not establish a direct causal link between lithium in drinking water and the development of WPW. Further research is needed to determine whether lithium itself is contributing to the development of these pathways and to understand the extent to which exposure matters and at what stage during fetal development.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
