Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Stability in Patients Prescribed Synthetic or Desiccated Thyroid Products: A Retrospective Study

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Table 1

Baseline Characteristics at Index Date and Results

	Desiccated Thyroid (n = 435)	Synthetic Levothyroxine (n = 435)	P Value
Age, y (mean, 95% CI)	63.4 (12.68)	63.4 (12.68)	Matched
Female No. (%)	392 (90.1)	392 (90.1)	Matched
Race, No. (%)			Matched
Non-Hispanic White	363 (83.4)	363 (83.4)	Matched
Non-Hispanic Black	5 (1.1)	5 (1.1)
Hispanic	22 (5.1)	22 (5.1)
Other	45 (10.3)	45 (10.3)
TSH (mean, 95% CI)	2.4 (0.18)	3.4 (0.27)	0.001
BMI (kg/m²) (mean, 95% CI)	27.55 (5.94)	28.62 (6.64)	0.032
Systolic BP (mmHg) (mean, 95% CI)	127.31 (16.28)	126.98 (16.09)	0.772
Diastolic BP (mmHg) (mean, 95% CI)	74.61 (8.59)	75.14 (8.07)	0.366
HgbA_1c (mean, 95% CI)	6.67 (0.94)	7.18 (1.30)	0.041
Random glucose (mg/dL) (mean, 95% CI)	97.36 (20.52)	97.51 (25.56)	0.961
Comorbidities, No. (%)
Hypertension	135 (31.0)	150 (34.5)	0.312
Myocardial infarction	< 6	< 6	0.722
Diabetes mellitus	37 (8.5)	46 (10.6)	0.356
Heart failure	8 (1.8)	10 (2.3)	0.812
Atrial fibrillation	12 (2.8)	11 (2.5)	1
Cholesterol (mg/dL) (mean, 95% CI)
High density lipoprotein	60.62 (17.55)	59.97 (16.81)	0.715
Low density lipoprotein	114.14 (31.91)	115.77 (34.92)	0.64
Triglycerides	141.42 (82.22)	147.05 (74.20)	0.489
Total cholesterol	201.98 (35.41)	204.74 (39.44)	0.479
Results
Percent of TSH values in range, (mean, 95% CI)	79.3 (76.6-82.1)	79.1 (76.4-81.7)	0.905
Visit-to-visit TSH, (SD of TSH)	1.44 (1.33-1.54)	1.25 (1.15-1.36)	0.015
Percent of patients with 100% of TSH values in range, (mean, 95% CI)	60.0 (55.8-64.1)	59.8 (55.7-63.9)	0.951
Number of TSH laboratories obtained per patient over the 3-year study period (mean, IQR)	3 (3-5)	4 (3-5)	0.578