Study Shows The Lithium Has Little Effect On ALS

(RTTNews) - A new study published in the current edition of the journal Neurology suggests that lithium is ineffective as a treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease, otherwise known as ALS.

For the study, a team led by Dr. Adriano Chiò University of Turin in Italy tested 171 ALS patients, giving 87 of them a dosage of lithium thought to be effective and 84 a lower dosage known to be ineffective.

They found little difference in the health of those taking the high dosage of lithium. The trial was stopped early in November 2009 because 68 percent of the test group had died.

"This discontinuation rate is two times higher than that in other recent studies for ALS drugs," Chiò told Science Daily. "This high dropout level, along with the relatively high frequency of side effects, raises serious doubts about the safety of this drug and also shows it to be ineffective for people with ALS."

by RTT Staff Writer

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