A randomized trial of combination T4 and T3 treatment and effect on tissue markers of thyroid status and quality of life in hypothyroid patients

Home » Patients Portal » Clinical Thyroidology for the Public » May 2024 » Vol 17 Issue 5 p.3-4

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HYPOTHYROIDISM
A randomized trial of combination T4 and T3 treatment and effect on tissue markers of thyroid status and quality of life in hypothyroid patients

BACKGROUND
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is common and is caused by the inability of the thyroid to produce and secrete thyroxine, the main thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is usually treated by replacing the thyroxine that the thyroid no longer makes with levothyroxine (LT4) the synthetic form of thyroxine. While most patients feel fine with most, if not all, symptoms of hypothyroidism resolved by levothyroxine, some patients still experience hypothyroid symptoms, especially fatigue and a decrease in in thinking often referred to as “brain fog” function despite treatment restoring FT4 and TSH levels to the normal range.

While thyroxine is the main hormone produced by the thyroid, it is converted outside the thyroid to triiodothyronine, the main active hormone that is responsible for the actions of thyroid hormone on the body. Triiodothyronine is also available in pill form, known as liothyronine (LT3). Because of this, some advocate for treatment with both LT4 and LT3 for patients with persistent symptoms on L-T4 alone. Though controversial, there is data that suggests the combination LT4 and L-T3 can improve symptoms and quality of life (QoL) of patients with hypothyroidism. The authors in this trial, aimed to show the effects of combination therapy with LT4+LT3 on peripheral tissue, changes in other tissue markers and QoL in patients who underwent thyroid surgery.