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Prevalence and severity of hyponatremia and hypercreatininemia in short-term uncomplicated hypothyroidism

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Abstract

Hypothyroidism is widely accepted as a cause of hyponatremia and hypercreatininemia. However, the prevalence and severity of hy-ponatremia and hypercreatininemia in hypothyroid patients without comorbid conditions have not been well documented. We retrospectively studied serum sodium and creatinine levels in thyroid-ablated patients with differentiated thyroid cancer off (no.=128) and on (no.=60) thyroid hormone therapy. In the hypothyroid state, mean(±SD) TSH, sodium, and creatinine levels were 130.3±104.8 mU/l, 139.3±2.7 mEq/l, and 89.4±20 mmol/l respectively. Twenty-four patients (18.8%) had cre-atinine levels above the age- and sex-adjusted normal range, whereas only five patients (3.9%) had sodium levels below 135 mEq/l. No patient had a sodium level less than 130 mEq/l. Compared to their euthyroid values, mean sodium and creati-nine levels of the hypothyroid patients changed by -1.18 mEq/l (p=0.003) and 17.2 mmol/l (p<0.0001), respectively. There was significant correlation of TSH levels in the hypothyroid state with the changes from the euthyroid state to the hypothyroid state in creatinine levels (r=0.29, p=0.02) but not with the corresponding changes in sodium levels (r=0.06, p=0.6). In thirty-seven patients studied in two hypothyroid episodes, there was a significant correlation between a) TSH levels in hypothyroid state 1 and hypothyroid state 2 (r=0.56, p=0.0003), and b) the change in creatinine levels from the euthyroid state to hypothyroid state 1 and the corresponding change from the euthyroid state to hypothyroid state 2 (r=0.48, p=0.003). There was no significant correlation between the change in sodium levels from the euthyroid state to hypothyroid state 1 and the corresponding change from the euthyroid state to hypothyroid state 2 (r=0.32, p=0.05). We conclude that hyponatremia is very uncommon, whereas mild to moderate elevation in serum creatinine level is not uncommon in patients with short-term uncomplicated hypothyroidism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Endocrinology, Departments of Medicine (MBC-46), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia

    F. S. Baajafer & M. M. Hammami M.D., Ph.D. (Consultant)

  2. Biomedical Statistics Scientific Computing, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    G. E. D. Mohamed

Authors
  1. F. S. Baajafer
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  2. M. M. Hammami M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. G. E. D. Mohamed
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Baajafer, F.S., Hammami, M.M. & Mohamed, G.E.D. Prevalence and severity of hyponatremia and hypercreatininemia in short-term uncomplicated hypothyroidism. J Endocrinol Invest 22, 35–39 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345476

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