Abstract
Thyroid indices were measured after an extended period of medication- free evaluation averaging 6 weeks in 67 consecutively admitted patients with bipolar illness. Thyroid hormone levels - thyroxine (T4), free T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) - were not significantly different in the 31 rapid cyclers (≤ 4 affective episodes/year) than in 36 non-rapid cyclers. Analysis of covariance indicated a non-significant trend relation between higher T4 and a greater number of effective episodes in the year prior to admission and male gender when ago was covaried. Several previous reports, primarily in medicated subjects, have suggested a link between rapid cycling patients and decreased peripheral thyroid indices (low hormone levels and elevated TSH), but now the majority of studies do not support such a relation. Among those in the literature, this study includes patients studied for the longest time off medications and farther suggests that the commonly-cited relation between subclinical hypothyroidism and rapid cycling bipolar illness be reevaluated.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-7 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Psychiatry Research |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 29 1997 |
Keywords
- Affective disorder
- Hypothyroidism
- Lithium
- Rapid cycling
- Thyroxine
- Triiodothyronine
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry