Effect of levothyroxine therapy on dyslipidemia in hypothyroid patients

The aims of the present study are to observe the prevalence of hypothyroidism (both subclinical and overt hypothyroidism), its association with dyslipidemia and whether replacement therapy with thyroid hormone has an effect on plasma lipid profile of hypothyroid patients. This prospective study of one-year duration recruited 232 clinically suspected patients belonging to both sexes and age group between 20-70 years attending OPD of endocrinology department of MLN Medical College, Allahabad. Patients were screened for T3, T4 and TSH and those who were euthyroid (52 cases) were excluded from the study. Thus, the present study included only 180 newly diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine replacement therapy was administered and patients were assessed every 3-4 months for an effect on lipid profile and body mass index during the study period. In both subclinical and overt hypothyroidism associated with dyslipidemia, replacement therapy with levothyroxine resulted in reversal to normal in significant number of cases. Although majority of hypothyroid cases were overweight yet therapy with levothyroxine caused no significant changes in BMI in all grades of obesity.