ASSISTING EFFECTS OF LITHIUM ON HYPOGLYCEMIC TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES

In this article, we report the assisting effect of lithium on hypoglyc emic treatment in patients with diabetes. Thirty-eight diabetic patien ts, 15 male and 23 female, aged 20-70 yr, 33 noninsulin-dependent diab etes mellitus (NIDDM) patients, and 5 insulin-dependent diabetes melli tus (IDDM) patients, were recruited in this study. Fasting and 1-h pos tprandial blood glucose (BG) profiles were undertaken from three group s of patients with diabetes before and after short-term of treatment o f lithium carbonate. Group I was treated with diet only, Group II with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA), and Group III with insulin. The fasti ng blood glucose (FBG) level and 1-h postprandial blood glucose (1-h P BG) level before and after treatment of lithium were: Group I: FBG: 7. 67 +/- 0.48 vs 7.13 +/- 0.82; 1-h PBG 15.13 +/- 0.88 vs 10.33 +/- 0.96 ; Group II: FBG: 8.84 +/- 0.67 vs 6.04 +/- 0.57; 2-h PBG: 12.33 +/- 0. 72 vs 9.95 +/- 0.82; Group III: FBG: 10.87 +/- 0.83 vs 6.83 +/- 0.79; 1-h PBG: 12.45 +/- 0.93 vs 9.17 +/- 1.00 mmol/L, respectively. The FBG and PBG of all three groups decreased significantly after lithium tre atment, except the FBG in Group I. These data suggest that combined wi th other therapy, Lithium could improve glucose metabolism in most pat ients with diabetes. Our results suggest that Lithium has an assisting hypoglycemic effect on antidiabetic treatment.