WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study revealed that levothyroxine, a popular thyroid medication, might be linked to the loss of bone density.
The second most commonly prescribed medication among older adults in the U.S. is usually taken to treat the condition called hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid.
'This research is a collaboration between Johns Hopkins and the BLSA, the longest-running study on aging conducted by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging,' said co-author Eleanor Simonsick.
'The BLSA's extensive data include repeated DEXA measurements at each study visit, which provides valuable insight into the progression of bone density and bone mass changes over time, offering a more comprehensive understanding of aging-related osteoporosis.'
The study involved 81 euthyroid levothyroxine users, and 364 non-users, with TSH levels of 2.35 at the initial visit. The results showed that levothyroxine users experienced greater loss of total body bone mass and bone density.
'Our study suggests that even when following current guidelines, levothyroxine use appears to be associated with greater bone loss in older adults,' noted Dr. Shadpour Demehri, co-senior study author and professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins.
'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,' concluded Dr. Elena Ghotbi, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins.
Researchers advised that people should take levothyroxine only after consulting their health care providers, and should regularly monitor their thyroid levels.
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