Long-Term Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure Treated With Levothyroxine: An Observational Nationwide Cohort Study

Mette Nygaard Einfeldt, Anne-Marie Schjerning Olsen, Søren Lund Kristensen, Usman Khalid, Jens Faber, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Gunnar H Gislason, Christian Selmer

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Abstract

CONTEXT: Hypothyroidism has detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, but controversy remains concerning the benefits of levothyroxine (L-T4) substitution in patients with heart failure (HF).

OBJECTIVE: Examining the effects of L-T4 in patients with HF.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: All Danish citizens aged ≥18 years diagnosed with HF between 1997 and 2012. L-T4 treatment was identified from nationwide registers. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated with Poisson regression models.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiovascular death, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).

RESULTS: A total of 224,670 patients were diagnosed with HF [mean age 70.7 (SD ± 14.7) years, 53% male]. Of these, 6560 patients were treated with L-T4 at baseline, and 9007 patients initiated L-T4 during follow-up. A total of 209,103 patients did not receive L-T4. During a median follow-up of 4.8 years [interquartile range (IQR) 9.2] 147,253 patients died. Increased risk of all-cause mortality (IRR 1.25; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.29; IRR 1.13; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.16), cardiovascular death (IRR 1.23; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.27; IRR 1.11; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.15), and MACE (IRR 1.26; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.31; IRR 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.09) was observed for treatment ongoing at baseline and initiated during follow-up, respectively. Increased risk of MI (IRR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.41) was observed for ongoing treatment, and reduced risk (IRR 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.93) was observed for incident treatment.

CONCLUSION: Ongoing and incident L-T4 treatment in patients with HF was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and MACE. Increased risk of MI was observed for ongoing treatment, and reduced risk was observed for incident treatment.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Vol/bind104
Udgave nummer5
Sider (fra-til)1725-1734
ISSN0021-972X
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2019

Bibliografisk note

Copyright © 2019 Endocrine Society.

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