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Impaired ventilatory drive in short-term primary hypothyroidism and its reversal by L-triiodothyronine

Journal of Endocrinological Investigation volume 8, pages 533–536 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Alveolar hypoventilation is known to occur in myxedema. Reduction of hypercapnic ventilatory drive has not been reported, up to now, in patients with short-term hypothyroidism. Eleven patients with short-term hypothyroidism, before and after L-triiodothyronine (L-T3) replacement therapy, and 10 normal controls were studied. Hypercapnic ventilatory drive was assessed by the evaluation of the relation between the response of ventilation and mean expiratory flow to CO2 rebreathing and by the evaluation of ventilation and mean expiratory flow at a fixed level of carbon dioxide. In patients with short-term hypothyroidism these parameters were reduced as compared with normal controis and returned to normal after L-T3 replacement. We conclude that hypercapnic ventilatory drive is blunted by short-term hypothyroidism and normalizes following replacement therapy.

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Affiliations

  1. Scuola Terapisti della Riabilitazione, USL 12, Pisa, Italy

    N. Ambrosino

  2. Cattedra di Endocrinologia e Medicina Costituzio-nale, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    F. Pacini, P. L. Paggiaro, E. Martino, V. Contini, L. Turini, M. Tarchi, P. Vitti & A. Pinchera

  3. Istituto Elaborazione deH’Informazione C.N.R., 56100, Pisa, Italy

    M. Bramanti

Authors
  1. N. Ambrosino
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  2. F. Pacini
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  3. P. L. Paggiaro
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  4. E. Martino
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  5. V. Contini
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  6. L. Turini
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  7. M. Tarchi
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  8. P. Vitti
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  9. M. Bramanti
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  10. A. Pinchera
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Ambrosino, N., Pacini, F., Paggiaro, P.L. et al. Impaired ventilatory drive in short-term primary hypothyroidism and its reversal by L-triiodothyronine. J Endocrinol Invest 8, 533–536 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348555

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348555

Key-words

  • Ventilatory drive
  • hypothyroidism
  • L-triiodothyronine