A study has revealed significant benefits for hyperthyroid patients undergoing surgery compared to those treated solely with medication.
Hyperthyroidism, characterised by an overactive thyroid gland, poses elevated cardiovascular risks due to excessive thyroid hormone production.
This is according to research led by a Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine team.
The absence of evidence about the long-term efficacy and risks of various treatments, such as anti-thyroid drugs, radioactive iodine ablation or surgery,
has previously impeded informed clinical decisions.
Drawing from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database from 2011 to 2020, the study analysed outcomes for 114,062 hyperthyroid patients.
Patients who opted for surgery experienced a remarkable 47% lower risk of death and a 24% reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to those treated solely with medication.
Patients who underwent radioactive iodine treatment demonstrated a substantial 55% decreased likelihood of experiencing major adverse cardiovascular events.
Co-corresponding author Elizabeth Pearce, MD, MSc, underscores the imperative of tailoring treatment decisions to individual patients, stressing the importance of factoring in cardiovascular risk factors.
Dr Pearce, who also serves as an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Centre, suggests that surgery or radioactive iodine treatment may offer superior outcomes compared to prolonged use of anti-thyroid drugs, particularly for patients with heightened susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases.
She said, ‘The improved outcomes observed in our study with surgery or radioactive iodine may have been related to more prompt and complete hyperthyroidism resolution than medication. However, future prospective studies will be needed to better understand these risks.’
The full paper is here.
