SynthesisPloS one2023
Comparison of the safety between propylthiouracil and methimazole with hyperthyroidism in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Non-genetic risk factors of miscarriage: a comprehensive umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis.Reproductive health · 2025Pooled it
- Hyper-Thyro Vision: An Integrated Framework for Hyperthyroidism Diagnostic Facial Image Analysis Based on Deep Learning.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism: a bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2024.Gland surgery · 2025Article
- Aminoguanidine Improved Liver Function and Attenuated Oxidative Stress in Hypothyroid Rats by Propylthiouracil.Advanced biomedical research · 2025Article
- An Unusual and Severe Thyrotoxicosis in a Twin Pregnancy: Fortune Favors the Brave.Case reports in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Adverse events of the thyroid peroxidase inhibitor methimazole in the treatment of hyperthyroidism: a comprehensive analysis from the first quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of 2025.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Combined Levothyroxine and Propylthiouracil Treatment in Children with Monocarboxylate Transporter 8 Deficiency: A Multicenter Case Series of 12 Patients.Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the safety of the anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs) propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI) in the treatment of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy.
methodFrom inception until June 2, 2022, all available studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, EBSCO, Embase, Scopus, and CNKI.
resultThirteen articles satisfying the inclusion criteria were examined. Our meta-analysis indicated that pregnant women treated with MMI had a higher risk of congenital anomalies than those treated with PTU (OR 0.80, 95%CI 0.69-0.92, P = 0.002, I2 = 41.9%). Shifting between MMI and PTU during pregnancy did not reduce the risk of birth defects compared to PTU alone (OR 1.18, CI 1.00 to 1.40, P = 0.061, I2 = 0.0%). There were no statistically significant differences in hepatotoxicity (OR 1.54, 95%CI 0.77-3.09, P = 0.221, I2 = 0.0%) or miscarriage (OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.72-1.11, P = 0.310, I2 = 0.0%) between PTU and MMI exposure.
conclusionThe study confirmed propylthiouracil is a safer alternative to methimazole for treating hyperthyroidism in pregnant women, and it is appropriate to treat maternal thyroid disease with PTU during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, it is not clear whether switching between propylthiouracil and methimazole is a better option than treating PTU alone during pregnancy. Further studies on this matter may be needed to develop new evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of pregnant women with hyperthyroidism.
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Registered trials
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.