New research shows that successful
treatment for hyperthyroidism may be associated with a significant risk of
becoming overweight or obese. These findings were presented at the Society for
Endocrinology conference in Harrogate, UK. Medical professionals should be
aware of this association and provide patients undergoing treatment for
hyperthyroidism with appropriate advice on the risk of becoming overweight.
Further research is required to determine if lifestyle management techniques are
useful in the prevention of this excessive weight gain.
Hyperthyroidism is a common endocrine
condition where the thyroid gland becomes overactive and produces too much of
the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine
(T3). This condition has a number of different causes including
auto-immune disease and toxic thyroid nodules. It affects approximately two in
100 women and two in 1,000 men. If left untreated, it can cause serious health
problems including heart failure and stroke.
Dr Kristien Boelaert and team from the
University of Birmingham, UK studied 1047 patients who had been diagnosed with
hyperthyroidism to determine whether their weight changed after treatment and
investigate any risk factors for this.
They found that 69.4% (727) patients
gained more than 5% of their presenting body mass over a median treatment
duration of 22 months. 44.2% of patients who presented with a normal BMI became
overweight or obese and 44.6% of patients who were overweight at presentation
became obese. Patients were more likely to gain weight over the course of
treatment if they had more severe hyperthyroidism (p<0.001), they reported
weight loss prior to treatment (p<0.001) or their treatment took longer
(p=0.001). Men were also at significantly higher risk of gaining weight during
treatment (p=0.05). There was no effect of treatment type (antithyroid drugs
versus radioactive iodine treatment) on the risk of gaining a minimum of 5% in
body weight.
This is the largest dataset
investigated on the effects of hyperthyroidism treatment on weight. It is
important that clinicians and nurses are aware that weight gain is a common
side-effect of hyperthyroidism treatment and work with their patients prior to,
during and following treatment to advise on potential lifestyle interventions to
prevent excessive gain.
Lead researcher Dr Kristien Boelaert
from the University of Birmingham, said:
“Our data confirm anecdotal reports
and results from very small studies indicating weight gain after treatment for
hyperthyroidism is common. However, our study also shows which patients are at
higher risk of putting on weight, namely those with more severe hyperthyroidism,
those reporting prior weight loss, men, and those whose treatment takes
longer.
“It is very important that patients do
not put off receiving treatment for hyperthyroidism due to concerns about weight
gain, as delaying treatment can have serious consequences. Healthcare
professionals working with patients with hyperthyroidism should be aware of
these findings and should provide patients with advice on measures to minimise
weight gain. We now plan to examine whether a package of lifestyle
interventions can be developed which limits excessive weight gain in these
patients.”
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