Millions at Risk: Popular Medication Linked to Bone Loss
“
Levothyroxine use in older adults may increase bone loss even with normal TSH levels, highlighting the need for regular monitoring and individualized treatment to balance benefits and risks.
Levothyroxine, the second most frequently prescribed medication for older adults in the U.S., might be linked to bone loss, according to findings presented at the recent annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Levothyroxine, marketed under multiple brand names including Synthroid, is a synthetic version of a hormone called thyroxine and is commonly prescribed to treat the condition hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. In people with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroxine on its own, often resulting in fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, and other symptoms. If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to serious and potentially fatal complications.
Approximately 23 million Americans—about 7% of the U.S. population—take levothyroxine daily. Sometimes, patients have been taking levothyroxine for many years, but it is not clear why it was initially prescribed or if it is still required.
“Data indicates that a significant proportion of thyroid hormone prescriptions may be given to older adults without hypothyroidism, raising concerns about subsequent relative excess of thyroid hormone even when treatment is targeted to reference range goals,” said the study’s lead author Elena Ghotbi, M.D., postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
Though there are some variables, a normal reference range for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is typically around 0.4 – 5.0 microunits per milliliter. Excess thyroid hormone has been associated with increased bone fracture risk.”
Rest of story is in the link.
