Search Results

You are looking at 1 - 1 of 1 items for

  • Author: Anne Jarløv x
Clear All Modify Search
Ulla Schmidt Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Ulla Schmidt in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Birte Nygaard Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Birte Nygaard in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Ebbe Winther Jensen Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Ebbe Winther Jensen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Jan Kvetny Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Jan Kvetny in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Anne Jarløv Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Anne Jarløv in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Jens Faber Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine O, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Search for other papers by Jens Faber in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close

Background

A recent randomized controlled trial suggests that hypothyroid subjects may find levothyroxine (l-T4) and levotriiodothyronine combination therapy to be superior to l-T4 monotherapy in terms of quality of life, suggesting that the brain registered increased T3 availability during the combination therapy.

Hypothesis

Peripheral tissue might also be stimulated during T4/T3 combination therapy compared with T4 monotherapy.

Methods

Serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), pro-collagen-1-N-terminal peptide (PINP), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (representing hepatocyte, osteoblast, and cardiomyocyte stimulation respectively) were measured in 26 hypothyroid subjects in a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial, which compared the replacement therapy with T4/T3 in combination (50 μg T4 was substituted with 20 μg T3) to T4 alone (once daily regimens). This was performed to obtain unaltered serum TSH levels during the trial and between the two treatment groups. Blood sampling was performed 24 h after the last intake of thyroid hormone medication.

Results

TSH remained unaltered between the groups ((median) 0.83 vs 1.18 mU/l in T4/T3 combination and T4 monotherapy respectively; P=0.534). SHBG increased from (median) 75 nmol/l at baseline to 83 nmol/l in the T4/T3 group (P=0.015) but remained unaltered in the T4 group (67 nmol/l); thus, it was higher in the T4/T3 vs T4 group (P=0.041). PINP levels were higher in the T4/T3 therapy (48 vs 40 μg/l (P<0.001)). NT-proBNP did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions

T4/T3 combination therapy in hypothyroidism seems to have more metabolic effects than the T4 monotherapy.

Open access