title: Low mood and response to Levothyroxine treatment in Indian patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is considerable controversy regarding the association of subclinical hypothyrodism (SCH) and depression. We studied the association of SCH with low mood and also investigated the effects of L-thyroxine (LT4) therapy on improvement of symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred patients with SCH and 300 age and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. Serum levels of TSH, FT3, FT4 were measured by chemi-illuminescence. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was used to evaluate baseline depression in all participants and subsequently, in 133 patients who had undergone LT4 therapy for 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HAM-D scores were significantly higher for cases (10.0±4.7) as compared to controls (2.4±1.5). A positive correlation (r(2)=0.87, p=0.00) was found, between the Hamilton scores and serum TSH levels. No such association was seen between serum FT3, FT4 levels and HAM-D scores. Levothyroxine treatment resulted in a significant decrease in TSH levels and Hamilton scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCH is associated with low mood and there is a positive correlation between serum TSH levels and HAM-D scores. The administration of Levothyroxine therapy is associated with significant improvement in HAM-D scores. This underlines the importance of thyroid screening in cases of low mood and also asserts the role of Levothyroxine therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India. Electronic address: gvishnoi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vishnoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Baidarbhi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Hormaz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Srinivas H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gowda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Binita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goswami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine
keywords: HAM-D; Improvement; Levothyroxine; Low mood; Subclinical hypothyroidism