Suboptimal treatment of hypothyroidism is associated with worse hospital outcomes, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Matthew D. Ettelson, MD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify differences in hospital outcomes between patients with and without hypothyroidism. Participants were aged 64 and younger and had a thyrotropin (TSH) level collected prior to hospital admission. The final study population included 43,478 patients, of whom 8,873 had a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Patients with a high prehospitalization TSH level (>10.00 mIU/L) had a 1.2-day longer length of stay and an increased risk for 30- and 90-day readmission compared with balanced controls (relative risks [RR], 1.49 and 1.43, respectively). Reduced risks for in-hospital mortality and 90-day readmission were seen for patients with normal TSH levels (RR, 0.46 and 0.92, respectively).
