title: Treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Subclinical hypothyroidism is a health state that is associated with hypercholesterolemia, infertility, iron-deficiency anemia, and poor obstetric outcome. This article summarizes the results of a prospective clinical investigation of whether treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism and iron-deficiency anemia with a combination of levothyroxine plus iron salt would be superior to each treatment alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial, 60 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and iron-deficiency anemia received iron salt+placebo (20 patients), levothyroxine+placebo (20 patients), or levothyroxine+iron salt (20 patients) for 3 months. Change from baseline (before) to end of study (after) in hemoglobin, ferritin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were compared among groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The increase from baseline in hemoglobin and ferritin in the levothyroxine+iron group was superior to the other groups, in which a decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone in the 2 groups that received levothyroxine was superior to the group treated with iron salt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subclinical hypothyroidism was investigated in iron-deficient patients with no acceptable response to iron salt alone. A combination of levothyroxine and iron salt is better than each one alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravanbod
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asadipooya
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalantarhormozi
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nabipour
authors.forename: Gholamhosein R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Omrani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000032:analysis*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D013972:Thyrotropin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D013974:Thyroxine