Management of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism - Factors influencing L-thyroxine dosage

With the aim of establishing optimal dosage schedules, 171 women with eithe r avert (OH, n = 80) or subclinical (SCH, n = 91) hypothyroidism were asses sed before and 6 months after starting L-thyroxine (LT4) replacement therap y. Each group was further classified into four subgroups according to post- therapy serum TSH level, as follows: A) complete suppression; B) partial su ppression; C) normal range and D) shove normal range (insufficient response ). In all subgroups, LT4 doses were higher for OH than for SCH, whether exp ressed as total daily dose (mu g) or as a function of either actual or idea l body weight (mu g/kg BW). In OH, LT4 dose was higher for subgroups A or B as compared with either C or D. In SCH, subgroup A received a larger dose than the other subgroups. Post-treatment serum thyroxine levels showed the same pattern for both OH and SCH. Mean LT4 dose was similar in patients wit h high and normal antithyroid antibodies and in patients with goiter and in those without it. In goitrous patients thyroid volume decreased in subgrou p B, particularly in those patients that had elevated antithyroid antibodie s, hut not in subgroup C. In OH patients a significant negative correlation was found between daily LT4 dose per kg actual BW and actual BW, especiall y in subgroup C for patients with a body mass index > 27 kg/cm(2) (r = -0.9 0, p < 0.001). In subgroup C of the SCH group, a negative correlation betwe en LT4 dose and age was noticed. Both in OH and in SCH, LT4 dose per kg act ual BW required to obtain a serum TSH within the normal range was lower in women with a body mass index (BMI) > 27 kg/m(2) than in those with a BMI le ss than or equal to 27 kg/m(2). LT4 doses for subgroup C did not differ fro m those needed in hypothyroid patients with previous Graves' disease, in ei ther OH or SCH patients.