title: Free T4 index and clinical outcome in patients with depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many studies of patients with major depression have reported that a significant decrease in serum free T(4) index is associated with specific treatments; what has been unanswered is whether these observations are generalizable. This study evaluated baseline thyroid function and its relationship to rapidity of treatment response as measured by hospital length of stay (HLOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Admission thyroid indices and HLOS data were harvested from the medical record of patients hospitalized for depression, both unipolar and bipolar. The relationship between admission thyroid indices and HLOS was evaluated using survival models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for age and year of discharge, an inverse relationship between FT(4) index (FT(4)I) and HLOS was present in men, but not in women. The mean HLOS stratified by gender and median FT(4)I was 50% shorter in men with a relatively high FT(4)I in comparison to the other three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is a retrospective study limited by the absence of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview and prospective controlled antidepressant evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data would suggest that a relatively elevated FT(4) index in depressed men is associated with a faster antidepressant response time. Prospective study is encouraged to further clarify this potential thyroid/gender relationship and whether thyroid supplementation can accelerate the improvement in depression as measured by HLOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. oabulseoud@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abulseoud
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sane
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kiriakos
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gitlin
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masseling
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whybrow
authors.forename: Lori L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Altshuler
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Frye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D013974:Thyroxine