Longevity & AgingLow-Dose Lithium Rebuilds Muscle, Bone, and Metabolism After Estrogen Loss
Postmenopausal women face heightened risks of sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes due to estrogen loss. Researchers tested low-dose lithium chloride (50 mg/kg/day) in ovariectomized (OVX) female mice for 8 weeks. Lithium improved isometric muscle force and fatigue resistance in both soleus and EDL muscles, restored bone mineral density to sham levels, and modestly improved insulin tolerance. Cellular mechanisms included enhanced calcium uptake via SERCA, reduced oxidative stress, increased mitochondrial marker expression, and a blunted pro-pathological muscle transcriptomic response to OVX. These findings suggest lithium's GSK3-inhibiting properties may offer broad musculoskeletal and metabolic protection in estrogen-deficient states.
