ArticlePloS one2021
Prevalence and factors associated with chronic use of levothyroxine: A cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Thyroid hormone therapy in a population cohort over two decades indicates persistent overtreatment.European thyroid journal · 2026Article
- Measuring Hypothyroidism Disease Control Using a TSH-based "Time-in-range".The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Thyroxine overuse and clinical indices guiding successful treatment withdrawal.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2025Article
- Levothyroxine therapy in thyroidectomized patients: ongoing challenges and controversies.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Review
- Thyroid function, autoimmunity, thyroid volume, and metabolic profile in people with Hashimoto thyroiditis.BMC endocrine disorders · 2024Article
- TSH Trajectories During Levothyroxine Treatment in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) Cohort.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Article
- In Reply.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2024Article
- Over- and Undertreatment With Levothyroxine.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023Observational
- In infertile women with subclinical hypothyroidism, with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies, serum TSH during pregnancy follows preconception values and thyroid hormones remain stable.Human reproduction open · 2023Article
- Gut microbiota short-chain fatty acids and their impact on the host thyroid function and diseases.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Review
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
importanceLevothyroxine prescriptions are rising worldwide. However, there are few data on factors associated with chronic use.
objectiveTo assess the prevalence of chronic levothyroxine use, its rank among other chronic drugs and factors associated with chronic use. To assess the proportion of users outside the therapeutic range of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
designCohort study (CoLaus|PsyCoLaus) with recruitment from 2003 to 2006. Follow-ups occurred 5 and 10 years after baseline.
participantsA random sample of Lausanne (Switzerland) inhabitants aged 35-75 years. MAIN OUTCOMES: We evaluated the prevalence of chronic levothyroxine use and we then ranked it among the other most used chronic drugs. The ranking was compared to data from health insurance across the country. We assessed the association between each factor and chronic levothyroxine use in multivariable logistic regression models. The proportion of chronic levothyroxine users outside the usual TSH therapeutic range was assessed.
results4,334 participants were included in the analysis (mean±SD age 62.8±10.4 years, 54.9% women). 166 (3.8%) participants were chronic levothyroxine users. Levothyroxine was the second most prescribed chronic drug after aspirin in the cohort (8.2%) and the third most prescribed when using Swiss-wide insurance data. In multivariable analysis, chronic levothyroxine use was associated with increasing age [odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.05 per 1-year increase]; female sex [11.87 (5.24-26.89)]; BMI [1.06 (1.02-1.09) per 1-kg/m2 increase]; number of concomitant drugs [1.22 (1.16-1.29) per 1-drug increase]; and family history of thyroid pathologies [2.18 (1.37-3.48)]. Among chronic levothyroxine users with thyroid hormones assessment (n = 157), 42 (27%) were outside the TSH therapeutic range (17% overtreated and 10% undertreated).
conclusionsIn this population-based study, levothyroxine ranked second among chronic drugs. Age, female sex, BMI, number of drugs and family history of thyroid pathologies were associated with chronic levothyroxine use. More than one in four chronic users were over- or undertreated.
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