Abstract

VARGAS, Erwing A et al. Behavior of TSH and T4 in a cohort of patients with cardiac arrhythmia treated with amiodarone or other antiarrhythmics. Rev. Col. Cardiol. [online]. 2008, vol.15, n.4, pp.161-164. ISSN 0120-5633.

Aminodarone is one of the most widespread used antiarrhythmics, but in the same way it is a medicine with well known side-effects at multiple levels; one of the most important ones is described for the thyroid tissue. Almost 80% of patients that receive it for an indefinite time will present an adverse effect; nevertheless, only less than 15% will discontinue it. Injury mechanisms are related, because of its structural similitude, to those of levothyroxine, with liberation of high iodine concentrations and induction of immune reactivity, among others. However, most patients remain in euthyrod state. This study describes thyroid function variation at short term in 77 patients that received different type of antiarrhythmics, that had no risk factors associated to thyroid dysfunction and that were recruited in the hospital ward. TSH samples were taken at the beginning of the study and at three months of follow-up. 26% (43 patients) had normal TSH plasma levels with a tendency to higher value levels after 3 months in the group receiving amiodarone. Additionally, a higher proportion of thyroid gland disorders were described in the male population.

Keywords : aminodarone; antiarrhythmics; thyroid function; hypothyroidism.

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