Thyroid Insufficiency. Is Thyroxine the Only Valuable Drug.pdfVIP

Journa l of Nutritiona l Environmenta l Medicin e (2001), 11, 159– 166 CLINICAL RESEARCH Thyroid Insuf ciency. Is Thyroxine the Only Valuable Drug? 1 2 3 W. V. BAISIER MD, J. HERTOGHE MD † AND W. EECKHAUT MD 1Tolstraat 87, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium; 2Haringrodestraa t 62, B-2018 Antwerp, Belgium; 3Jeruzalemstraa t 15, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the ef cacy of a drug containing both liothyronine and thyroxine (T3 1 T4) in hypothyroid patient s who were treated, but not cured, with thyroxine (T4 alone). Design: Practice-based retrospective study of patients ’ records. Materials and Methods: The records of 89 hypothyroid patients, treated elsewhere with thyroxine but still with hypothyroidism, seen in a privat e practic e in Antwerp, Belgium, were compared with those of 832 untreated hypothyroid patients, over the same perio d of – time (May 1984 July 1997). Results: The same criteria were applied to both groups : a score of eight main symptoms of hypothyroidism and the 24 h urine fre e T3 dosage. The group of 89 patients, treated elsewhere with T4, but still complaining of symptoms of hypothyroidism, did not really differ fro m the group of untreated hypothyroid patient s as fa r as symptoms and 24 h urine fre e T3 were concerned. A number of these patient s were followe d up during treatment with natural desiccated thyroid (NDT): 40 T4 treated patient s and 278 untreated patients . Both groups responded equally favourabl y to NDT. Conclusions : Combined T3 1 T4 treatment seems to be more effective than treatment with T4 alone in hypothyroi