Antonio Bianco, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine
Division of Endocrinology
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine
Division of Endocrinology
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
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What is the role of the thyroid ultrasound in patients being evaluated for hypothyroidism? And why is confirming the diagnosis critical prior to initiating therapy?
In addition to recognizing subtle clinical signs of hypothyroidism—fatigue, decreased energy, and other non-specific findings—what are the guideline-consistent benchmarks for laboratory evaluation of a person suspected of having hypothyroidism?
What is the alternative to using monotherapy with levothyroxine? And what role has dessicated thyroid extract (DTE) played historically in treating hypothyroidism, and what have we learned from this experience?
Can you review current ATA-consistent guidelines for specific thyroid replacement formulations initially recommended in newly diagnosed persons with hypothyroidism? Why is T4 (levothyroxine) alone usually recommended as opposed to combination T4/T3?
Although guidelines indicate that normalization of TSH and thyroid hormone levels is an important goal confirming successful treatment with hormone replacement, is this the optimal approach and/or the singular criterion clinicians should focus on?
What is your approach to persons who have a TSH level between 4.5 and 10? Do they all get treated, or are there other stratification criteria—i.e., the presence of antithyroid antibodies—you use to determine the need for thyroid hormone therapy?
Once you begin thyroid hormone replacement therapy, how is that patient followed clinically to ensure treatment success? What are the recommended starting doses? How do you titrate the dose over time?
Can you give clinicians a sense of how many people treated for hypothyroidism with T4 monotherapy fall into a “less than optimal outcome” category and should be considered for combination approaches, including those that might include DTE?
There is a subset of patients who don’t respond to or are dissatisfied with levothyroxine (T4) monotherapy. What percentage don’t respond to conventional therapy? Why is combination therapy with T3/T4 considered appropriate for this group?