Hypothyroidism affects up to 5% of the general population, with a further estimated 5% being undiagnosed. Over 99% of affected patients suffer from primary hypothyroidism. Worldwide, environmental ...iodine deficiency is the most common cause of all thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism, but in areas of iodine sufficiency, Hashimoto’s disease (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) is the most common cause of thyroid failure. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed biochemically, being overt primary hypothyroidism defined as serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations above and thyroxine concentrations below the normal reference range. Symptoms of hypothyroidism are non-specific and include mild to moderate weight gain, fatigue, poor concentration, depression, and menstrual irregularities, while the consequences of untreated or under-treated hypothyroidism include cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. Levothyroxine has long been the main tool for treating hypothyroidism and is one of the world’s most widely prescribed medicines. In adults with overt hypothyroidism, levothyroxine is usually prescribed at a starting dose of 1.6 µg/kg/day, which is then titrated to achieve optimal TSH levels (0.4–4.0 mIU/L), according to the therapeutic target. We here summarise the history of levothyroxine and discuss future issues regarding the optimal treatment of hypothyroidism. Because nearly one-third of patients with treated hypothyroidism still exhibit symptoms, it is important that levothyroxine is used more appropriately to achieve maximum benefit for patients. In order to ensure this, further research should include more accurate assessments of the true prevalence of hypothyroidism in the community, optimisation of the levothyroxine substitution dose, proper duration of treatment, and identification of patients who may benefit from combination therapy with levothyroxine plus levotriiodothyronine.
Funding
: Merck.
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Oral levothyroxine (LT4) is the standard therapy for patients with hypothyroidism. Oral LT4 is available in several formulations, including tablets, soft gel capsules and oral solution. Multiple ...brand-name and generic LT4 tablets are available. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a protocol for establishing bioequivalence of LT4 formulations based on serum thyroxine (T4) levels after a single oral dose administered to healthy volunteers. This protocol has been criticized by professional endocrinology associations for using healthy individuals and ignoring serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. In addition, the protocol did not initially correct for baseline T4 levels, although this was changed in a later version. There are concerns that the FDA’s protocol could allow products with clinically significant differences in bioavailability to be declared therapeutically equivalent and interchangeable. Once a generic LT4 has been shown to be bioequivalent to a brand-name LT4, it may be substituted for that brand-name LT4 with no need for dose adjustment or follow-up therapeutic monitoring. Often, the substitution is made by the pharmacy without the physician’s knowledge. Even small differences between LT4 formulations can cause significant changes in TSH levels. This may be a particular concern in vulnerable populations, including elderly, pregnant, and pediatric patients. Problems that can be encountered when switching between formulations or when original products are reformulated are discussed in this review. These problems include altered efficacy and adverse events, some of which can be caused by excipients. Patients should be maintained on the same LT4 preparation if possible. If the LT4 preparation is changed, TSH levels should be evaluated and, if necessary, the dose of LT4 adjusted.
Funding
: Merck.
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: Plain language summary available for this article.
Epidemiology of nodular goitre. Influence of iodine intake Carlé, Allan, MD, PhD; Krejbjerg, Anne, MD, PhD Student; Laurberg, Peter, MD, DMSc
Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism,
08/2014, Volume:
28, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
More than one tenth of the world population is to some degree affected by goitre and most of these harbour nodules. The large differences in thyroid disease prevalence between populations may be ...caused by genetic and environmental factors. Among the latter, iodine deficiency seems by far to be the most important risk factor. Thus, nodular goitre is a condition predominantly seen in iodine deficient areas of the world. In the present review, we evaluated in detail autopsy and ultrasound studies of the thyroid gland. In autopsy studies, large thyroid volumes and high frequencies of goitres have been reported in countries affected by iodine deficiency. Many cross-sectional studies using thyroid ultrasound investigations have been performed world-wide and reported high thyroid volumes and goitre prevalences, and to some extent also high prevalences of thyroid nodules in iodine-deficient countries. Most of these goitres were classified as nodular goitres. On the other hand, few studies have shown that abundant iodine intake may lead to development of diffuse goitres, but world-wide this has been a minor problem compared with development of nodular goitres. In the past century we have observed a trend towards smaller thyroid glands, and hopefully less than 10% of the world population will experience goitre within a few decades.
Depending on the availability of iodine, the thyroid gland is able to enhance or limit the use of iodine for thyroid hormone production. When compensation fails, as in severely iodine-deficient ...populations, hypothyroidism and developmental brain damage will be the dominating disorders. This is, out of all comparison, the most serious association between disease and the level of iodine intake in a population. In less severe iodine deficiency, the normal thyroid gland is able to adapt and keep thyroid hormone production within the normal range. However, the prolonged thyroid hyperactivity associated with such adaptation leads to thyroid growth, and during follicular cell proliferation there is a tendency to mutations leading to multifocal autonomous growth and function. In populations with mild and moderate iodine deficiency, such multifocal autonomous thyroid function is a common cause of hyperthyroidism in elderly people, and the prevalence of thyroid enlargement and nodularity is high. The average serum TSH tends to decrease with age in such populations caused by the high frequency of autonomous thyroid hormone production. On the other hand, epidemiological studies have shown that hypothyroidism is more prevalent in populations with a high iodine intake. Probably, this is also a complication to thyroid adaptation to iodine intake. Many thyroid processes are inhibited when iodine intake becomes high, and the frequency of apoptosis of follicular cells becomes higher. Abnormal inhibition of thyroid function by high levels of iodine is especially common in people affected by thyroid autoimmunity (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). In populations with high iodine intake, the average serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) tends to increase with age. This phenomenon is especially pronounced in Caucasian populations with a genetically determined high tendency to thyroid autoimmunity. A small tendency to higher serum TSH may be observed already when iodine intake is brought from mildly deficient to adequate, but there is at present no evidence that slightly elevated serum TSH in elderly people leads to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Conclusion: Even minor differences in iodine intake between populations are associated with differences in the occurrence of thyroid disorders. Both iodine intake levels below and above the recommended interval are associated with an increase in the risk of disease in the population. Optimally, iodine intake of a population should be kept within a relatively narrow interval where iodine deficiency disorders are prevented, but not higher. Monitoring and adjusting of iodine intake in a population is an important part of preventive medicine.
Objective: Denmark was an area of iodine deficiency, and mandatory iodine fortification of table salt and salt in bread (13 p.p.m. iodine) was initiated in 2000/2001. The Danish investigation on ...iodine intake and thyroid disease (DanThyr) is the monitoring of the iodine fortification program. Design and methods: DanThyr consists of three main parts: a study of population cohorts initialized before (n = 4649) and after (n = 3570) iodization of salt, a prospective identification of incident cases of overt hyper- and hypothyroidism in a population of around 550 000 people since 1997, and compilation of data from the national registers on the use of thyroid medication, thyroid surgery, and radioiodine therapy. Studies were carried-out in parallel in subcohorts living in areas with differences in iodine content of ground water. Results: The study showed profound effects of even small differences in iodine intake level on the prevalence of goiter, nodules, and thyroid dysfunction. Mild and moderate iodine deficiency was associated with a decrease in serum TSH with age. Other environmental factors were also important for goiter development (increase in risk, smoking and pregnancy; decrease in risk, oral contraception and alcohol consumption), and the individual risk depended on the genetic background. Environmental factors had only a minor influence on the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies in the population. There were more cases of overt hypothyroidism in mild than in moderate iodine deficiency caused by a 53% higher incidence of spontaneous (presumably autoimmune) hypothyroidism. On the other hand, there were 49% more cases of overt hyperthyroidism in the area with moderate iodine deficiency. The cautious iodine fortification program, aiming at an average increase in iodine intake of 50 μg/day has been associated with a 50% increase in incidence of hyperthyroidism in the area with the most severe iodine deficiency. The incidence is expected to decrease in the future, but there may be more cases of Graves’ hyperthyroidism in young people. Conclusion: A number of environmental factors influence the epidemiology of thyroid disorders, and even relatively small abnormalities and differences in the level of iodine intake of a population have profound effects on the occurrence of thyroid abnormalities. Monitoring and adjustment of iodine intake in the population is an important part of preventive medicine.
Abstract
Context
Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy is a clinical concern, and surveillance of any change in the occurrence of hyperthyroidism in pregnancy is important, especially when a mandatory iodine ...fortification (IF) program is implemented such as in Denmark in the year 2000.
Objective
To investigate any change in the occurrence of hyperthyroidism and the use of antithyroid drugs (ATDs) in Danish pregnant women during a 20-year period before and after the implementation of IF.
Methods
A nationwide register-based cohort (1997-2016) and 2 birth cohorts with biochemical data (the Danish National Birth Cohort, 1997-2003, and the North Denmark Region Pregnancy Cohort, 2011-2015) were used to study maternal use of ATDs in pregnancy and frequency of early pregnancy biochemical hyperthyroidism during a 20-year period prior to and after the implementation of mandatory IF.
Results
In the nationwide cohort, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for treatment with ATDs was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.30-1.74) after mandatory IF (2001-2004) compared with baseline (1997-1999). The increase was more pronounced in the previously moderately iodine-deficient West Denmark (aOR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.36-2.04) than the mildly deficient East Denmark (aOR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06-1.60) and returned to baseline levels at the end of follow-up in both regions. No time-related difference in early pregnancy biochemical hyperthyroidism was observed.
Conclusion
The use of ATDs in Danish pregnant women increased following the implementation of IF and then leveled out. Results comply with observations in the general Danish population and suggest that IF influences the occurrence of autoimmune hyperthyroidism in younger individuals.
Context:
Hyperthyroidism in women of reproductive age is predominantly caused by Graves' disease. Pregnancy associated changes in the immune system may influence the onset of disease, but ...population-based incidence rates in and around pregnancy have not been reported.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to estimate the incidence of maternal hyperthyroidism (defined by redeemed prescription of antithyroid drugs) in and around pregnancy and to compare this with the incidence of other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Design:
This was a population-based cohort study.
Setting:
The study used the Danish nationwide registers.
Participants:
The participants were women who gave birth to singleton liveborn children in Denmark from 1999 to 2008 (n = 403 958).
Main Outcome Measure(s):
Incidence rates (IR) of maternal hyperthyroidism during a 4-year period beginning 2 years before and ending 2 years after the date when the mother was giving birth for the first time in the study period were measured.
Results:
Altogether 3673 women (0.9%) were identified with an onset of hyperthyroidism from 1997 to 2010, and the overall IR of maternal hyperthyroidism was 65.0/100 000/year. The IR of hyperthyroidism in and around pregnancy varied widely and was high in the first 3 months of pregnancy incidence rate ratio (IRR) vs the remaining study period: 1.50 (95% CI 1.09–2.06)), very low in the last 3 months of pregnancy (0.26 (0.15–0.44), and reached the highest level 7–9 months postpartum 3.80 (2.88–5.02). The incidence variation in and around pregnancy was different for RA and IBD.
Conclusion:
These are the first population-based data on the incidence of hyperthyroidism in and around pregnancy. The incidence of hyperthyroidism was high in early pregnancy and postpartum, whereas such particular pattern was not observed for other diseases of autoimmune origin.
Few studies have scrutinized the spectrum of symptoms in subclinical hypothyroidism.
From 3 Danish Investigation on Iodine Intake and Thyroid Diseases (DanThyr) cross-sectional surveys performed in ...the period 1997 to 2005, a total of 8903 subjects participated in a comprehensive investigation including blood samples and questionnaires on previous diseases, smoking habits, alcohol intake, and education. From the 3 surveys we included patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 376) and euthyroid controls (n = 7619). We explored to what extent patients with subclinical hypothyroidism reported 13 previously identified hypothyroidism-associated symptoms (tiredness, dry skin, mood lability, constipation, palpitations, restlessness, shortness of breath, wheezing, globus sensation, difficulty swallowing, hair loss, dizziness/vertigo, and anterior neck pain). In various uni- and multivariate regression models we searched for circumstances predicting why some patients have more complaints than others.
Subclinically hypothyroid patients did not report higher hypothyroidism score (median, interquartile range), 2 (0-4) vs 2 (0-4), P = .25 compared with euthyroid controls. Within the group of subclinical hypothyroid patients, comorbidity had the highest impact on symptoms (tiredness, shortness of breath, wheezing; all P < .001); TSH level had no impact on symptom score; and younger age was accompanied by higher mental burden (tiredness, P < .001; mood lability, P < .001; restlessness, P = .012), whereas shortness of breath was associated with high body mass index (P < .001) and smoking (P = .007).
Patients with a thyroid function test suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism do not experience thyroid disease-related symptoms more often than euthyroid subjects. In subclinical hypothyroidism, clinicians should focus on concomitant diseases rather than expecting symptomatic relief following levothyroxine substitution.
Objective
To investigate the impact of mandatory iodine fortification (IF) on the incidence of nosological subtypes of overt thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism.
Design
We identified and scrutinized ...all possible new cases of overt thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism in an open cohort in Northern Jutland (n = 309 434; 1 January 1997) during the years 2014‐2016. Individual medical history was evaluated to verify and detail the incidence of overt thyroid dysfunction and for classification into nosological subtypes. A number of cases were excluded during final verification due to spontaneous normalization of thyroid function, as they had no medical history suggesting a known condition, which could transiently affect thyroid function (subacute/silent thyroiditis, PPTD and iatrogenic thyroid dysfunction). An identical survey was conducted in 1997‐2000 prior to mandatory IF of salt (13 µg/g) that was in effect from year 2001.
Results
The standardized incidence rate (SIR) of verified overt thyrotoxicosis decreased markedly from 97.5/100 000/year in 1997‐2000 to 48.8 in 2014‐2016 (SIRR: 0.50 95% CI: 0.45‐0.56). This was due to a distinct decrease in the SIR of multinodular toxic goitre (SIRR: 0.18 0.15‐0.23), solitary toxic adenoma (SIRR: 0.26 0.16‐0.43) and to a lesser degree Graves’ disease (SIRR: 0.67 0.56‐0.79). SIR for overt hypothyroidism was unaltered by 2014‐2016 (SIRR: 1.03 0.87‐1.22). However, age distribution shifted with more young and fewer elderly cases of verified overt hypothyroidism.
Conclusion
Mandatory IF caused a substantial reduction in SIR of verified overt thyrotoxicosis (especially of nodular origin) while avoiding an increase in SIR of verified overt hypothyroidism.
Physiological changes in maternal thyroid function during pregnancy necessitate the use of pregnancy-specific reference ranges. Dynamic changes in thyrotropin (TSH) within the first trimester of ...pregnancy have been reported, but more evidence is needed to substantiate the findings. The objective of this study was to estimate pregnancy week-specific reference ranges for maternal TSH and free thyroxine (fT4) in early pregnancy.
The study consecutively recruited serum residues from blood samples collected as part of the prenatal screening in the North Denmark Region, 2011-2015. TSH, fT4, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) were measured using an ADVIA Centaur XPT immunoassay. The reference cohort included 10,337 pregnant women who had no thyroid disease or other autoimmune diseases and were TPOAb- and TgAb negative. The main outcome measures were lower and upper reference limits (2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) for TSH and fT4 stratified by week of pregnancy.
Blood samples were drawn in pregnancy weeks 4-20 (median week 10), and 92% of the pregnancies ended with a live birth. TSH varied considerably in the first trimester of pregnancy, and the levels were highest in early pregnancy (weeks 4-6: 0.6-3.7 mIU/L) followed by a gradual decline to lower levels in weeks 9-11 (0.1-2.8 mIU/L) and 12-14 (0.03-2.8 mIU/L). Maternal fT4 showed less variation (weeks 4-6: 12-20 pmol/L; weeks 9-11: 13-21 pmol/L; weeks 12-14: 13-20 pmol/L).
The results corroborate dynamic week-specific changes in maternal TSH in early pregnancy. The use of uniform lower and upper reference limits for TSH in early pregnancy may be too simple.
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