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Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 EP975 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP975

1Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain; 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.


Background: Subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHT) is associated with harmful effects on cardiovascular system, bone metabolism and progression to clinical hyperthyroidism. Loss of weight is a common fact in patients with clinical hyperthyroidism and of particular relevance in elderly patients, who are vulnerable to sarcopenia.

Objective: To assess changes in body composition after radioiodine therapy for SHT due to toxic nodular goitre.

Subjects and methods: Prospective controlled cohort study. Patients with persistent SHT due to toxic nodular goitre received a single fixed dose of 131I (555 MBq). A control group was established with patients who preferred to delay treatment. Body composition (lean mass, fat mass and bone mineral content) was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at baseline and 12 months after.

Results: Twenty-nine patients were studied (age 69.5±11.5; 75.9% women; BMI 27.1±5.7 kg/m2; serum thyrotropin (TSH) 0.20±0.21 μUI/ml; serum free thyroxine (T4) 1.01±0.19 ng/dl), 17 belonging to the treatment group and 12 to the control group. Study groups were comparable. No longitudinal changes in body composition were noted in either group, except for a trend to gain fat mass. However, when individuals with age >65 years were selected, only patients who received radioiodine therapy showed a significant increase in body weight (from 64.1±10.0 to 66.9±9.2 kg), BMI (from 27.3±4.8 to 28.7±4.5 kg/m2), fat mass (from 26.1±8.5 to 27.8±7.9 kg), lean mass (from 36.3±0.4 to 37.4±0.4 kg) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) (from 6.0±0.6 to 6.3±0.6 kg/m2).

Conclusions: Treatment of SHT seems to have positive effects on body composition in subjects older than 65 years. Weight gain reflects increases in both fat and lean mass.

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