Assessment of Quality of Life Among Patients with Hypothyroidism on Levothyroxine: A Review
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disorders that significantly impacts patient health related quality of life (HRQoL). Levothyroxine (LT4) is the primary treatment used alone to restore normal thyroid hormone levels. This review examines how levothyroxine (LT4) treatment influences the quality of life in individuals diagnosed with hypothyroidism. It assesses the effectivity of levothyroxine in symptom resolution, explore factors influencing QoL, and identify possible shortcomings in the current treatment plan. This review evaluates recent observational studies and meta-analyses that investigated HRQoL, daily functioning of hypothyroid patients on LT4 therapy. Studies were focused on patient-reported outcomes, biochemical markers and different assessment tools like SF-36 and ThyPRO questionnaires. Findings shown that while LT4 therapy normalize thyroid hormone levels, a significant patient proportion reports residual symptoms which negatively affect HRQoL. Emerging evidence suggests that a combination therapy involving LT4 and liothyronine (LT3) may offer superior symptom relief for certain patients, particularly those who continue to experience residual symptoms despite achieving biochemical euthyroidism with LT4 alone Although levothyroxine (LT4) monotherapy is widely regarded as the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, its effectiveness in fully restoring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been questioned. Patients with persistent symptoms suggest a need for individualized treatment strategies, further research on alternative therapies and optimization of dosing regimen.
Author: Vishnumaya A. M., Anjali Krishna S. S., Alnon L. J*., Shaiju S. Dharan
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6930786339
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: