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
Review
. 2021 Sep;51(9):1380-1387.
doi: 10.1111/imj.15431.

Impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on health-related quality of life: a narrative review

Joseph M Danicic  1 , Warrick J Inder  1   2 , Mark A Kotowicz  3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

Impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on health-related quality of life: a narrative review

Joseph M Danicic et al. Intern Med J. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

A biochemical diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is defined by an elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with a normal serum free thyroxine (FT4). This paper discusses SCH in the Australian population, the impact of SCH on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and the evidence for thyroid hormone therapy as well as exercise therapy to improve HRQoL in SCH. The prevalence of SCH in Australia is approximately 4-5% and is higher in females and the elderly. Current evidence suggests thyroid hormone therapy is not associated with an improvement in HRQoL. However, there does appear to be a subgroup of those with SCH that experience an impairment in HRQoL who may potentially benefit from treatment. Because the majority of research to date has been done in elderly, largely asymptomatic individuals, this may not be representative of the entire SCH population. In addition, alternative treatments, such as exercise therapy, have not been well explored in the literature, despite exercise therapy's effects on HRQoL in other populations. Further research is required to define clearly which individuals with SCH are likely to experience an impaired HRQoL, as well as explore the effects of thyroid hormone therapy and exercise therapy in these individuals.

Keywords: Australia; exercise therapy; hypothyroidism; quality of life; thyroxine.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Biondi B, Cappola AR, Cooper DS. Subclinical hypothyroidism: a review. JAMA 2019; 322: 153-60.
    1. Werneck FZ, Coelho EF, Almas SP, Garcia MMDN, Bonfante HLM, de Lima JRP et al. Exercise training improves quality of life in women with subclinical hypothyroidism: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Endocrinol Metab 2018; 62: 530-6.
    1. Allport J, McCahon D, Hobbs FDR, Roberts LM. Why are GPs treating subclinical hypothyroidism? Case note review and GP survey. Prim Health Care Res Dev 2013; 14: 175-84.
    1. Manolis AA, Manolis TA, Melita H, Manolis AS. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular consequences: an alarming wake-up call? Trends Cardiovasc Med 2020; 30: 57-69.
    1. Hamblin PS, Sheehan PM, Allan C, Houlihan CA, Lu ZX, Forehan SP et al. Subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy: the Melbourne public hospitals consensus. Intern Med J 2019; 49: 994-1000.

LinkOut - more resources