Citation: Nonchev BI, Argatska AV, Pehlivanov BK, Orbetzova MM. Risk factors for postpartum thyroid dysfunction in euthyroid women prior to pregnancy. 2017;59(2):190-196. doi: 10.1515/folmed-2017-0027 Background: Thyroid dysfunction is common during the postpartum and the predisposing factors for its development are considered specifi c for the population studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) in euthyroid women prior to pregnancy. Materials and methods: Forty-fi ve women with PPTD and 55 age-matched euthyroid postpartum women from Plovdiv, Bulgaria were included in the study. TSH, FT4, FT3, TPOAb, TgAb, TRAb were measured and ultrasound evaluation of the thyroid was performed in the fi rst trimester of pregnancy and during the postpartum. Results: The study found higher risk of developing PPTD in women with family history of thyroid disease (OR 4.42; 95% CI 1.87,10.43), smokers (OR 4.01; 95% CI 1.72,9.35), personal history of autoimmune thyroid disease (OR 5.37; 95% CI 1.15,28.53), positive TPOAb (OR 18.12; 95% CI 4.93,66.65) and thyroid US hypoechogenicity during early pregnancy (OR 6.39; 95% CI 2.53,16.12) and those who needed levothyroxine during pregnancy (OR 3.69; 95% CI 1.28,10.61). BMI before pregnancy was signifi cantly lower in women with PPTD than in euthyroid postpartum women (22.80±0.55 vs 26.25±0.97, p=0.013). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identifi ed as most important independent risk factors for PPTD occurrence the TPOAb positivity during early pregnancy, family history of thyroid disease, smoking and lower BMI before pregnancy. Conclusion: Our data suggest that in the population studied several factors are associated with an increased risk of PPTD and screening for thyroid disorders among those women can be benefi cial.
Folia Medica
BACKGROUND
The risk of PPTD in women with AIT predating pregnancy is higher among women with preserved thyroid functional capacity motivating a thorough assessment of thyroid hormone levels and close follow-up of those women during the postpartum period.
Thyroid surgery is generally recommended for malignant conditions and for some benign thyroid disorders. Many patients report weight gain after thyroidectomy especially during the first months following surgery. Studies on patients with Graves’ disease treated either with antithyroid drugs or radioiodine confirm that these patients frequently gain weight after restoration of thyroid function. Other studies have also shown that there is considerable weight gain after thyroidectomy for both nodular goiter and thyroid cancer. Transient hypothyroidism during the postoperative period is often thought to be associated with weight gain after thyroidectomy. The role of a number of adipocytokines and their interaction with the thyroid function has been investigated in the pathogenesis of weight changes. Levothyroxine replacement or suppressive therapy after thyroidectomy has a different impact on the metabolic parameters independent of TSH levels. The long-term effects of the impaired T3/T4 ratio are not fully understood as there are no sensitive markers to assess the biological response of target organs and tissues. Future studies are needed to identify such parameters, provide new considerations for the treatment of patients after total thyroidectomy, and help determine individual target hormone levels to ensure a sustained euthyroid state.
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