Trace lithium in Texas tap water is negatively associated with all-cause mortality and premature death

Val Andrew Fajardo; Paul J LeBlanc; Val Andrei Fajardo

doi:10.1139/apnm-2017-0653

Trace lithium in Texas tap water is negatively associated with all-cause mortality and premature death

Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018 Apr;43(4):412-414. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2017-0653. Epub 2017 Dec 5.

Authors

Val Andrew Fajardo^{1

2}, Paul J LeBlanc^{1

2}, Val Andrei Fajardo³

Affiliations

¹ a Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
² b Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
³ c Department of Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.

PMID: 29206474
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2017-0653

Abstract

Lithium in tap water was previously found to have life-extending effects across 18 Japanese municipalities. Using a larger dataset with several Texas counties, our study shows that lithium concentrations in tap water are negatively associated with all-cause mortality (r = -0.18, p = 0.006, 232 counties) and years of potential life lost (r = -0.22, p = 0.001, 214 counties). Thus, our present findings extend and reinforce lithium's purported life-prolonging effect in humans.

Keywords: GSK3; durée de la vie; healthspan; lifespan; lithium; longevity; longévité; longévité en bonne santé.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Cause of Death
Drinking Water / chemistry*
Female
Humans
Lithium / analysis*
Longevity*
Male
Middle Aged
Mortality, Premature*
Protective Factors
Risk Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Suicide
Texas / epidemiology
Time Factors
Trace Elements / analysis*
Water Supply*

Substances

Drinking Water
Trace Elements
Lithium