TY - JOUR
T1 - The levothyroxine absorption test
T2 - A four-year experience (2015–2018) at the Mayo Clinic
AU - Gonzales, Kristen M.
AU - Stan, Marius N.
AU - Morris, John C.
AU - Bernet, Victor
AU - Regina Castro, M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - Background: Levothyroxine (LT4) is the mainstay of therapy for hypothyroidism. Yet, despite physician efforts at dose titration, some patients remain hypothyroid on LT4 doses in excess of weight-based calculations, a condition known as refractory hypothyroidism. The LT4 absorption test (LT4AT) has been proposed to have utility in these patients by enabling distinction of LT4 malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption, a condition of intentional nonadherence. Given its rare use in clinical practice, we reviewed our institution’s experience with the LT4AT to assess its impact on management of refractory hypothyroidism. Methods: We reviewed the charts of 16 patients diagnosed with refractory hypothyroidism and who had completed the LT4AT between January 2015 to January 2019. The primary aim was to determine the utility of this test in distinguishing LT4 malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption. Secondary aims were to determine whether the results of this test impacted physicians’ management decisions, as well as to report on clinical outcomes at follow-up. Our LT4AT is a six-hour test wherein patients receive a weight-based dose of LT4 followed by serial measurements of total thyroxine (TT4) and thyrotropin (TSH). Percentage absorption is calculated using the following formula, with normal absorption being ≥60%: % Absorbed = [[Increment TT4 (mcg=dL) × 10 (dL=L)]=total administered LT4 (mcg)]] × Vd(L) × 100 Results: Percentage absorption was calculated in 13 of 16 patients due to lack of TT4 data for 3 patients. Absorption was impaired in one patient (% absorbed = 0), who had known causes of malabsorption. The remaining 12 patients had normal absorption by hour 4 of the test (% absorption 60–158) in conjunction with upward TT4 trends. Clinical follow-up ranged from 1 to 32 months (median 6.5 months), with 11 patients having follow-up data. Six of these had normal or suppressed TSH values at most recent follow-up, and four had improved but persistent TSH elevations. The one said patient with malabsorption improved with intravenous LT4. Conclusions: The LT4AT can provide valuable information for distinguishing malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption. Our findings support the combined use of calculated percentage absorptions with TT4 trends for at least a four-hour time frame when making determinations regarding absorption.
AB - Background: Levothyroxine (LT4) is the mainstay of therapy for hypothyroidism. Yet, despite physician efforts at dose titration, some patients remain hypothyroid on LT4 doses in excess of weight-based calculations, a condition known as refractory hypothyroidism. The LT4 absorption test (LT4AT) has been proposed to have utility in these patients by enabling distinction of LT4 malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption, a condition of intentional nonadherence. Given its rare use in clinical practice, we reviewed our institution’s experience with the LT4AT to assess its impact on management of refractory hypothyroidism. Methods: We reviewed the charts of 16 patients diagnosed with refractory hypothyroidism and who had completed the LT4AT between January 2015 to January 2019. The primary aim was to determine the utility of this test in distinguishing LT4 malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption. Secondary aims were to determine whether the results of this test impacted physicians’ management decisions, as well as to report on clinical outcomes at follow-up. Our LT4AT is a six-hour test wherein patients receive a weight-based dose of LT4 followed by serial measurements of total thyroxine (TT4) and thyrotropin (TSH). Percentage absorption is calculated using the following formula, with normal absorption being ≥60%: % Absorbed = [[Increment TT4 (mcg=dL) × 10 (dL=L)]=total administered LT4 (mcg)]] × Vd(L) × 100 Results: Percentage absorption was calculated in 13 of 16 patients due to lack of TT4 data for 3 patients. Absorption was impaired in one patient (% absorbed = 0), who had known causes of malabsorption. The remaining 12 patients had normal absorption by hour 4 of the test (% absorption 60–158) in conjunction with upward TT4 trends. Clinical follow-up ranged from 1 to 32 months (median 6.5 months), with 11 patients having follow-up data. Six of these had normal or suppressed TSH values at most recent follow-up, and four had improved but persistent TSH elevations. The one said patient with malabsorption improved with intravenous LT4. Conclusions: The LT4AT can provide valuable information for distinguishing malabsorption from pseudomalabsorption. Our findings support the combined use of calculated percentage absorptions with TT4 trends for at least a four-hour time frame when making determinations regarding absorption.
KW - LT4
KW - Levothyroxine
KW - Levothyroxine absorption test
KW - Malabsorption
KW - Pseudomalabsorption
KW - Refractory hypothyroidism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077017120&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85077017120&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/thy.2019.0256
DO - 10.1089/thy.2019.0256
M3 - Article
C2 - 31680654
AN - SCOPUS:85077017120
SN - 1050-7256
VL - 29
SP - 1734
EP - 1742
JO - Thyroid
JF - Thyroid
IS - 12
ER -