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Lean Body Mass Is a Major Determinant of Levothyroxine Dosage in the Treatment of Thyroid Diseases

Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Ferruccio Santini, Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy. E-mail: fsantini{at}endoc.med.unipi.it.

Total body weight is usually employed to calculate the amount of L-T₄ to be administered in patients with thyroid diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of body composition on L-T₄ requirements. Body composition was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in 75 patients on TSH-suppressive L-T₄ therapy after conventional thyroid ablation for differentiated cancer. The mean daily dose of L-T₄ was lower in normal-weight (127.5 ± 21.3 µg/d) vs. overweight (139.4 ± 24.5) and obese (151.3 ± 29.1) subjects. There was a much stronger association between the L-T₄ dosage and lean body mass (P < 0.001, r = 0.667) compared with fat mass (P = 0.023, r = 0.26). Measurement of regional tissue composition showed peripheral lean mass as the best correlate with the dose of L-T₄ (r = 0.679, P < 0.001) whereas no correlation was observed with peripheral fat mass. In conclusion, individual L-T₄ requirements are dependent on lean body mass. Age- and gender-related differences in L-T₄ needs reflect different proportions of lean mass over the total body weight. An estimate of lean mass may be helpful to shorten the time required to attain a stable dose of L-T₄, particularly in subjects with high body mass index values that may be due either to increased muscular mass or to obesity.

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