(Shutterstock)An international panel of experts on Tuesday cautioned against the routine use of thyroid hormone treatment in adults for a mildly underactive thyroid gland, saying it has no benefits and may carry the risks of harm. The recommendations, published in The British Medical Journal come amid what is viewed as a global surge in prescriptions for thyroid hormone, particularly levothyroxine, to treat patients with SCH defined as thyroid stimulating hormone levels between 4 and 10 milliunits per litre. Vermandere and her colleagues analysed 21 studies examining the impact of thyroid hormone treatment and found no evidence of benefit to patients with no symptoms or mild symptoms. “We are worried about possible harm from long-term treatment because there is not enough data on the long-term harms from thyroid hormone substitution therapy,” she said. Even without risks of harm, the panel pointed out that patients with SCH on therapy would be exposed likely lifelong to a pill that is not required and be compelled to go for periodic testing of thyroid hormone levels.

Source: The Telegraph May 15, 2019 11:37 UTC