Lithium helps fight dementia

✚ A COMMON mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder may cut the risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests. After examining data from nearly 30,000 mental health patients, Cambridge University scientists found only 9.7 percent of those treated with lithium experienced the memory-robbing condition — compared to 11.2 percent who never took the drug. Lead study author Dr. Shanquan Chen says preliminary findings hint “it’s possible that lithium might reduce the risk of dementia in people with bipolar disorder.”