Fact Check: natural desiccated thyroid improves the health of those patients who have no thyroid gland and who remain ill using levothyroxine,

Fact Check: "Natural desiccated thyroid improves the health of those patients who have no thyroid gland and who remain ill using levothyroxine"

What We Know

Natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) has been used historically to treat hypothyroidism, particularly before the widespread adoption of levothyroxine in the 1970s. Recent studies indicate that a subset of patients who do not respond adequately to levothyroxine may experience symptom relief when switched to NDT, which contains both levothyroxine and liothyronine, the latter being a more active thyroid hormone (source-1).

A case series highlighted in the literature suggests that patients who are unresponsive to levothyroxine may find significant benefits from NDT, with improvements in quality of life and symptom relief reported (source-1). The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has called for further research on the efficacy of combination therapies involving liothyronine and levothyroxine, acknowledging that some patients may not achieve satisfactory symptom control with levothyroxine alone (source-1).

Analysis

The claim that NDT improves health for patients without a thyroid gland who remain ill on levothyroxine is partially true. While there is emerging evidence supporting the use of NDT for patients who do not respond well to levothyroxine, the data is largely anecdotal and derived from case series rather than large-scale, randomized controlled trials. The case series mentioned in the study indicates that many patients reported symptom alleviation, which can be seen as valid evidence for the potential benefit of NDT (source-1).

However, the reliability of these findings is tempered by the lack of rigorous clinical trials specifically designed to assess the efficacy of NDT in this patient population. Furthermore, the NICE guidelines suggest that while NDT may be a viable option for some, it is not universally recommended, indicating that more comprehensive studies are needed to establish its effectiveness compared to standard treatments like levothyroxine (source-1).

Additionally, the perception of NDT as a "natural" alternative may introduce bias, as some patients may prefer it based on personal beliefs rather than clinical evidence. The FDA classifies NDT as a "grandfathered drug," meaning it has not undergone the same rigorous approval processes as newer medications, which raises questions about its standardization and consistency (source-1).

Conclusion

The claim that natural desiccated thyroid improves the health of patients without a thyroid gland who remain ill on levothyroxine is partially true. While there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that some patients experience symptom relief with NDT, the lack of large-scale clinical trials and the variability in patient responses necessitate caution. More research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness and safety of NDT as a treatment alternative for this specific group of patients.

Sources

1. Natural desiccated thyroid for the treatment of hypothyroidism?
2. 各类基金资助项目英文翻译（中英文对照） - 小木虫论坛
3. Natural Desiccated Thyroid: An Alternative to Synthroid
4. 外文期刊缩写与全称对照表（别忘了保存） - 小木虫论坛
5. Is NDT a Better Option to Levothyroxine for Hypothyroidism?
6. Desiccated thyroid extract vs Levothyroxine in the treatment of ...