Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jul;29(5):285-295.
doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.005. Epub 2018 Sep 20.

Amiodarone and thyroid physiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management

Richard G Trohman  1 , Parikshit S Sharma  2 , Elizabeth A McAninch  2 , Antonio C Bianco  2
Affiliations

Amiodarone and thyroid physiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management

Richard G Trohman et al. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Although amiodarone is considered the most effective antiarrhythmic agent, its use is limited by a wide variety of potential toxicities. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive "bench to bedside" overview of the ways amiodarone influences thyroid function. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE to identify peer-reviewed clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and other clinically relevant studies. The search was limited to English-language reports published between 1950 and 2017. Amiodarone was searched using the terms adverse effects, hypothyroidism, myxedema, hyperthyroidism, thyroid storm, atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia, and electrical storm. Google and Google scholar as well as bibliographies of identified articles were reviewed for additional references. We included 163 germane references in this review. Because amiodarone is one of the most frequently prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs in the United States, the mechanistic, diagnostic and therapeutic information provided is relevant for practicing clinicians in a wide range of medical specialties.

Keywords: Adverse effects; Amiodarone; Atrial fibrillation; Electrical storm; Hyperthyroidism; Hypothyroidism; Myxedema; Thyroid storm; Ventricular arrhythmia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
A composite algorithm for thyroid follow-up and treatment in patients receiving amiodarone.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Vassallo P, Trohman RG. Prescribing amiodarone: an evidence-based review of clinical indications. JAMA 2007;298(11):1312–22. - PubMed
    1. Singh BN. Amiodarone as paradigm for developing new drugs for atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2008;52(4):300–5. - PubMed
    1. Rosenbaum MB,. Chiale PA, Haedo A, Lazzari JO, Elizari MV. Ten years of experience with amiodarone. Am Heart J 1983;106(4 Pt 2):957–64. - PubMed
    1. Rosenbaum MB, Chiale PA, Halpern MS. Nau GJ, Przybylski J, Levi RJ. et al. Clinical efficacy of amiodarone as an antiarrhythmic agent. Am J Cardiol 1976;38(7):934–44. - PubMed
    1. Fogoros RN. The Strange History of Amiodarone. Available at https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-strange-history-of-amiodarone-1745987... accessed 8/9/18.

Publication types