Lithium and thyroid
Abstract
One in 200 people receive lithium for treatment of bipolar disorder. The common clinical side effects of the drug are goitre in up to 40% and hypothyroidism in about 20%. Lithium increases thyroid autoimmunity if present before therapy. Treatment with levothyroxine is effective and lithium therapy should not be stopped. Lithium may cause hyperthyroidism due to thyroiditis or rarely Graves' disease. As lithium inhibits thyroid hormone release from the thyroid gland it can be used as an adjunct therapy in the management of severe hyperthyroidism. It also increases thyroidal radioiodine retention and may be effective in reducing administered activity in hyperthyroidism. There is no clinical benefit of lithium therapy in thyroid cancer. More research is required on the cellular proliferative effects of lithium as well as its impact on the immune system.
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Women develop overt or subclinical hypothyroidism three times more frequently than men (25.8 vs. 8.7%), with prevalence among women exceeding 50% by the age of 65 years.
“Indeed, women develop OH or SCH three times more frequently than men (25.8 vs. 8.7%), with prevalence among women exceeding 50% by the age of 65 years (35).”
From L-T4 therapy in the presence of pharmacological interferents (2020) · cites this paper as [35]
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References 100 · Cited by 230
- Authors
- Lazarus, J. H.
- Affiliations
- University Hospital of Wales (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Lazarus, John H.
- ORCID
- Lazarus, John H.
- Venue
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 723-733
- ISSN
- 1521-690X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1977803503
- Cited by
- 230
- References
- 100
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 1.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
- Keywords
- lithium, thyroid gland, goiter, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, Graves' disease, thyroid autoimmunity, levothyroxine, radioiodine uptake, thyroid cancer, bipolar disorder, adverse drug reactions
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Bipolar Disorder, Female, Goiter, Humans, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Hypothyroidism, Male, Thyroid Gland, Thyroid Hormones, Thyroxine, Lithium Compounds
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