Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30621645›Full record

SynthesisBMC psychiatry2019

Association between subclinical hypothyroidism and depression: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Huai Heng Loh, Lee Ling Lim, Anne Yee, Huai Seng Loh

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
11.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 140 citations in OpenAlex.

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10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Huai Heng LohFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Malaysia Sarawak(UNIMAS), Jalan Dato Muhammad Musa, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia. hhloh@unimas.my.
Lee Ling LimDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Anne YeeDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Huai Seng LohClinical Academic Unit, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Gelang Patah, Malaysia.
Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia · MYUniversity of Malaya · MY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough depression is associated with changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, its relationship with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is controversial. To date, there is a lack of data on the improvement of depressive symptoms with levothyroxine therapy among individuals with coexistent SCH.

methodsWe conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between SCH and depression including 1) the prevalence of depression in SCH (with a sub-analysis of the geriatric cohort), 2) thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level among patients with depression and 3) the effect of levothyroxine therapy among patients with SCH and coexistent depression.

resultsIn a pooled analysis of 12,315 individuals, those with SCH had higher risk of depression than euthyroid controls (relative risk 2.35, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.84 to 3.02; p < 0.001). Geriatric cohort with SCH had a 1.7-fold higher risk of depression compared with healthy controls (odds ratio 1.72, CI, 1.10 to 2.70; p = 0.020). There was no difference in the mean TSH level between individuals with depression and healthy controls (2.30 ± 1.18 vs. 2.13 ± 0.72 mIU/L, p = 0.513). In individuals with SCH and coexistent depression, levothyroxine therapy was neither associated with improvement in the Beck Depression Inventory scoring (pooled d + = - 1.05, CI -2.72 to 0.61; p = 0.215) nor Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (pooled d + = - 2.38, CI -4.86 to 0.10; p = 0.060).

conclusionSCH has a negative impact on depression. Early and routine screening of depression is essential to prevent morbidity and mortality. However, the use of levothyroxine among patients with SCH and coexistent depression needs to be individualized.

Indexed as

Case-Control StudiesCohort StudiesDepressionHumansHypothyroidismPrevalencePsychiatric Status Rating ScalesDepressionLevothyroxineSubclinical hypothyroidismThyroid stimulating hormone

Identifiers

PMID30621645
PMCPMC6325749
OpenAlexW2916986734

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.