A recent study conducted by Boston University has shed light on the benefits of different treatment methods for hyperthyroidism, a condition characterized by the thyroid gland producing excessive thyroid hormones.
This overactivity can lead to heightened risks of cardiovascular problems.
Traditionally, hyperthyroidism treatments include anti-thyroid drugs, radioactive iodine ablation, and surgery, but choosing the best approach has been complicated due to a lack of comprehensive data comparing their long-term effects.
The researchers discovered that patients who underwent surgery for hyperthyroidism experienced a significantly lower risk of death (47% lower) and major adverse cardiovascular events (24% lower) than those treated with medication.
Similarly, treatment with radioactive iodine showed a 55% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events when compared to medication-based treatments.
This study emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to treating hyperthyroidism, taking into account the patient’s cardiovascular risk profile.
The findings, derived from an analysis of 114,062 patients within Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database between 2011 and 2020, suggest that in individuals at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, thyroid surgery or radioactive iodine might offer better outcomes than long-term medication.
Elizabeth Pearce, MD, MSc, co-corresponding author of the study, highlighted that the superior outcomes associated with surgery or radioactive iodine could be due to these treatments providing a quicker and more complete resolution of hyperthyroid symptoms compared to anti-thyroid drugs.
However, she also noted the necessity for future prospective studies to further understand the implications of these findings.
This groundbreaking research, published in JAMA Network Open, has the potential to influence how doctors approach hyperthyroidism treatment, especially in patients with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, by offering insights into the most effective treatment modalities for reducing the risks of death and major cardiovascular events.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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