Abstract
Background: Amiodarone protects patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) against serious arrhythmias, but it also has numerous side effects on non-cardiac organs, such as the thyroid. Indeed, amiodarone may inhibit the peripheral conversion of T4 into T3. Pathologically reduced serum levels of T3 — the so-called “low T3 syndrome” (LOWT3) — increase mortality in patients with LVSD and not on amiodarone. Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between thyroid hormone status, amiodarone therapy, and outcome in a population with LVSD. Material/subjects and methods: A total of 2344 patients with LVSD and free of overt hyper- and hypothyroidism were enrolled. The population was divided into 4 groups: group 1 (LOWT3 and amiodarone therapy, no.=126), group 2 (isolated amiodarone therapy, no.=74), group 3 (isolated LOWT3, no.=682), group 4 (controls, no.=1462). Results: Kaplan-Meier curves showed, after a mean follow-up of 31 months, increased total and cardiac mortality in groups 1 (30% and 20%, respectively), 2 (23%, 11%), and 3 (22%, 12%) compared to group 4 (total mortality log-rank 82.8, pa<0.0001; cardiac mortality log-rank 63.1, p<0.0001). At Cox analysis, adjusted for several clinical variables, survival was reduced in groups 1 and 3 compared to group 4. Group 2 had a similar mortality to group 4, although the number of patients was too limited to accurately assess the effect of amiodarone on long-term prognosis. Conclusions: LOWT3 exerts an adverse impact on prognosis in LVSD, which is not influenced by concomitant amiodarone therapy.
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Coceani, M., Molinaro, S., Scalese, M. et al. Thyroid hormone, amiodarone therapy, and prognosis in left ventricular systolic dysfunction. J Endocrinol Invest 34, e144–e148 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346723
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346723