Thyroid drug link to elderly fractures
Tuesday May 3rd, 2011
Elderly people who take drugs to control thyroid problems should have their doses modified to minimise the risk of fractures, it has been claimed.
A study published on the British Medical Journal online has suggested that elderly people taking levothyroxine, which is used to treat underactive thyroid glands, are more prone to fractures.
A team of researchers in Toronto, Canada, said that as people get older their thyroxine requirements fall, but their prescriptions often remain unchanged. This can lead to excess thyroid hormone levels, which in turn can increase the risk of fractures, particularly in older women.
The Canadian study included 213,511 people aged 70 years or older, all of whom, had had least one levothyroxine prescription dispensed between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2007.
Just over ten per cent - 22,236 - people suffered at least one fracture during the study period, with existing and recent past users of the drug at a significantly higher risk.
Existing users who had high and medium doses of levothyroxine were associated with a significantly higher risk of fractures compared with those who took low dose levothyroxine.
“Our findings provide evidence that levothyroxine treatment may increase the risk of fragility fractures in older people even at conventional dosages, suggesting that closer monitoring and modification of treatment targets may be warranted in this vulnerable population,” say the authors.
In an accompanying editorial, Graham Leese, Professor of endocrinology and diabetes at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Scotland, agreed with the findings and called for greater research.
“With the prevalence of treated hypothyroidism increasing, and the annual economic burden of fractures in the United Kingdom currently estimated at €5.8bn (£5.1bn; $8.4bn), such research warrants a higher priority,” he said.
British Medical Journal April 29 2011
Tags: Geriatric Health | North America | Pharmaceuticals | UK News
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