부산대학교 도서관

Some thyroid diseases have been associated with osteoporosis due to the effect of thyroid hormones on bone resorption. On this basis, chronic treatment with thyroid hormones, especially suppressive doses, could lead to osteoporosis. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients treated with thyroid hormone in a health center in the city of Albacete. Methods: Cross-sectional study, conducted in patients diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism in treatment with levothyroxine in the city of Albacete. Patients were selected by reviewing medical records and laboratory parameters. Physical examination and medical history data were collected. Subsequently they underwent a bone density test and completed a questionnaire. Results: 112 patients were included in the study, with female predominance (88.5%), mean age of 42.5 years and a tendency to be overweight (mean BMI of 25.67 kg/m2, 95% CI: 18,02-35,49) . The average TSH was 6.67 mU / ml (95% CI: 4.31 - 11.15) with normal free T4. Osteoporosis was only found in 14%, with osteopenia prevailing among those where some kind of bone loss was found. Paradoxically, there is a greater bone mass loss in patients with a higher BMI. Although the bone mass deficit has been significantly associated with sex and years of treatment with levothyroxine, it is not related to dose nor to hormone levels detected in blood. Conclusions: The characteristics of our population do not make it particularly susceptible to developing osteoporosis (premenopausal women, overweight, non-smokers) and cases that were found are not doses dependent, but rather time dependent, therefore there must be other factors contributing to this pathology.