One Year of Sodium Dextrothyroxine Therapy for Hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

Sodium dextrothyroxine, the sodium salt of the dextrorotatory isomer of thyroxine, was administered in daily oral doses ranging from 4 to 8 mg to 30 patients with hypercholesterolemic states for 52 weeks. A drop in serum cholesterol values was recorded in every patient, and averaged a reduction of 32% from pre-treatment levels for the group as a whole; the most pronounced effects occurred in patients with the highest control cholesterol concentrations. This reduction in blood cholesterol elevations was achieved in patients with hypothyroidism, idiopathic hypercholestero-lemia and cardiovascular diseases, with and without diabetes mellitus. Escape from sodium dextrothyroxine control has not been observed, nor have true toxic effects been encountered. A marked rise in serum protein-bound I values occurred without stigmata of hyper-metabolism. Improvement in the symptomatic status of patients with angina pectoris, unaccompanied by deterioration in the ecg or the state of cardiac compensation, suggests the usefulness of sodium dextrothyroxine in patients with hypercholesterolemia complicating coronary artery disease.