Thyroid

How does hypothyroidism treatment affect cognitive function in menopausal women?

October 7, 2024

Despite higher initial cognitive scores, women treated for hypothyroidism with levothyroxine (LT4) show no difference in cognitive decline relative to those without thyroid disease. Study authors conclude that "for LT4-treated patients with persistent cognitive symptoms, clinicians should not anchor on inadequate treatment as the only explanation."

The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) involved 2,033 midlife women from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds across the U.S. Participants were divided into two groups: those with LT4-treated hypothyroidism and controls without thyroid disease. Each participant underwent up to nine cognitive assessments measuring processing speed, working memory, and episodic memory.

At baseline, women with LT4-treated hypothyroidism had higher scores in processing speed (56.5 vs. 54.4; p = 0.006) and working memory scores (6.8 vs. 6.4; p = 0.018). However, over time, there were no significant differences in cognitive decline rates between the hypothyroidism and control groups, even after adjusting for covariates.

Source:

Ettleson MD, et al. (2024, September 18). Thyroid. The Association Between Hypothyroidism and Cognitive Function Change in Women across the Menopause Transition: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39225158/