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December 13th, 2006 – In response
to a comprehensive analysis of data on the link between lithium
and a protective effect against suicide in people with bipolar
disorder, NAMI calls on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
to act on a Citizen’s Petition that seeks an indication
for reduced risk of completed suicides among individuals with
bipolar disorder for all lithium products.
The Citizen’s Petition submitted
by Ross Baldessarini, MD and Frederick Goodwin, MD on September
28, 2005 makes clear there is ample evidence demonstrating
the effectiveness of lithium in reducing the risks of suicide.
Specifically, the Citizen’s Petition provides an analysis
of 45 peer-reviewed studies of lithium which found that lithium
can reduce the risk of suicidal behaviors in individuals with
bipolar disorder by as much as 80%.
The link between lithium, which has
been available to treat mental illness for more than 50 years,
and reduced risk of suicide, has been acknowledged previously
by federal public health authorities.
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learn more.
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