Skip to main content

Thyrotoxicosis Linked to Risk for Incident Cognitive Disorder

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 28, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2023 -- For older adults, exposure to a low thyrotropin (TSH) level from either endogenous or exogenous thyrotoxicosis is associated with an increased risk for incident cognitive disorder, according to a study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Roy Adams, Ph.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a cohort study to examine whether thyrotoxicosis is associated with an increased risk for cognitive disorders. Patients aged 65 years and older with at least two visits to their primary care physicians 30 days apart were eligible; the analysis included 65,931 patients. The exposure variable was low TSH level, characterized based on the clinical context as due to endogenous thyrotoxicosis, exogenous thyrotoxicosis, or unknown cause.

The researchers found that the incidence of cognitive disorder was 11.0 and 6.4 percent by age 75 years for patients exposed and not exposed, respectively, to thyrotoxicosis. Across age groups, all-cause thyrotoxicosis was associated with the risk for cognitive disorder diagnosis after adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.39). Exogenous thyrotoxicosis remained a significant risk factor when stratified by cause and severity (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.34), with point estimates indicating a dose response.

"An increased risk of cognitive disorders is among the potential negative consequences of thyroid hormone excess, a common consequence of thyroid hormone treatment," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted December 2023

Read this next

Study Looks at Links Between Cognition, Psychopathology, Weight in Preteens

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2024 -- Lower cognition and greater psychopathology at baseline are associated with increased weight gain for children entering adolescence, according to a...

Odds of Death Lower With Surgery for Hip Fracture in Patients With Dementia

MONDAY, June 3, 2024 -- For community-dwelling patients with dementia and fracture of the femoral head and neck, the odds of death are lower for those treated surgically...

Preeclampsia Linked to Increased Risk for Young-Onset Dementia

FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Individuals with preeclampsia have an increased risk for young-onset dementia, according to a research letter published online May 30 in JAMA Network...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.