The Association Between Hypothyroidism and Anemia: a Clinical Study

Abstract

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and normal or decreased serum levels of T4 or T3, and is associated with a wide range of metabolic abnormalities, including anemia. This clinical study aimed to assess the improvement of anemia in patients with primary hypothyroidism following administration of levothyroxine in Iranian population.
Materials & Methods: The effect of levothyroxine in 70 patients with hypothyroidism was examined and the improvement of anemia in patients who had a poor or good response to levothyroxine was assessed during a 3 month follow-up.
Results: Three months after treatment, the levels of TSH in 64 patients with hypothyroidism (91.4%) significantly decreased to a normal limit (TSH< 2.5 IU/ml). Forty three out of 70 patients (61.4%) had a concurrent anemia. A significant difference was found in the levels of hematologic parameters between those who had a good response (TSH< 2.5 IU/ml) and those with poor responses to the treatment (TSH≤2.5 IU/ml) (p< 0.05).
Conclusions: Current study showed a high rate of association between anemia and hypothyroidism in Iranian population. Improvement in hypothyroidism and its associated anemia was observed in majority of patients (more than 90%), indicating a dual benefit for hypothyroidism treatment. Less than 10% of patients poorly responded to levothyroxine, with no clear reasons.