Long-Term Treatment of Hyperthyroidism with Antithyroid Drugs: 35 Years of Personal Clinical Experience.

Abstract

Background: None of the current therapeutic approaches for management of Graves' disease has been able to re-establish normal thyroid function in all patients. Objective: To describe the author's 35 years of personal experience in the management of Graves' hyperthyroidism and, in doing so, review current articles published on the long-term medical treatment of hyperthyroidism. Methods: All published articles related to ≥4 years of continuous antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment were searched. Findings were added and compared with studies published by the authors on the same topic. Results: Long-term ATD treatment is effective and safe, both in children and adults, for treatment of hyperthyroidism. Treatment of Graves' patients with ATDs >60 months causes euthyroidism up to 4 years after discontinuation of ATDs in the majority of patients. Long-term ATD therapy is not inferior to radioiodine therapy and may sometimes even be superior in some aspects, when considering serum lipid profile, cardiac function, mood, and cognition. Conclusions: Long-term ATD therapy for Graves' hyperthyroidism is efficient and safe and induces control of hyperthyroidism, without rendering the patient hypothyroid in the majority of patients.

• Authors: Fereidoun Azizi
• Journal: Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association (Thyroid) Vol. 30 Issue 10 Pg. 1451-1457 (10 2020) ISSN: 1557-9077 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32253999 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antibodies
• Antithyroid Agents
• Iodine Radioisotopes
• Lipids
• Methimazole
• Thyrotropin

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Affect
• Antibodies (chemistry)
• Antithyroid Agents (therapeutic use)
• Child
• Cognition
• Graves Disease (drug therapy)
• Heart (physiology)
• Humans
• Hyperthyroidism (drug therapy, therapy)
• Immune System
• Iodine Radioisotopes (pharmacology)
• Lipids (blood)
• Methimazole (pharmacology)
• Recurrence
• Research Design
• Risk Factors
• Thyroid Gland (immunology)
• Thyrotropin (metabolism)
• Young Adult