Abstract
Background
Doubts exist about the effect of different bariatric surgery (BS) types on levothyroxine (Lt4) absorption. We compared Lt4 doses and their variation (ΔLt4) in patients with hypothyroidism that underwent malabsorptive (MS) or restrictive (RS) surgery and studied predictors of Lt4 dose change.
Methods
Retrospective study of morbidly obese hypothyroid patients submitted to BS. We compared RS (“sleeve” gastrectomy or adjustable gastric banding) with MS (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) patients. We built a multivariable logistic regression and a linear regression model to study predictors of Lt4 dose changes and ΔLt4, respectively.
Results
Fifty-seven patients: 35 MS and 22 RS. Mean age 47 years; 7% men. Patients submitted to MS had lower BMI at 1 year than those submitted to RS. Lt4 dose remained unchanged in 61.4%, increased in 12.3%, and decreased in 26.3% of patients. Initial and 1-year Lt4 dose were not different between surgical groups. Relative Lt4 dose, but not absolute (p = 0.07), increased at 1 year (p < 0.001). Neither BS nor BMI variation were predictors of Lt4 dose variation. BMI variation was associated with relative Lt4 dose change independently of initial BMI and BS type: β (95%CI) − 0.03 (− 0.05; 0.00); p = 0.03.
Conclusions
There were no differences in Lt4 dose and its variation between restrictive and malabsorptive techniques 1 year after surgery. Malabsorptive procedures may not affect Lt4 absorption differently from restrictive ones. Bariatric surgery type was not predictive of Lt4 dose changes. BMI variation is associated with relative Lt4 dose (dose per weight) variation and its association was independent of bariatric surgery type.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pi-Sunyer X. The medical risks of obesity. Postgrad Med. 2009;121(6):21–33. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3810/pgm.2009.11.2074
Lubrano C, Mariani S, Badiali M, et al. Metabolic or bariatric surgery long-term effects of malabsorptive vs restrictive bariatric techniques on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors. Int J Obes. 2010;34(9):1404–14. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.54
Kissler HJ, Settmacher U. Bariatric surgery to treat obesity. Semin Nephrol. 2013;33(1):75–89. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semnephrol.2012.12.004
Altieri MS, Wright B, Peredo A, Pryor AD. Common weight loss procedures and their complications. Am J Emerg Med. 2017. Available from: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0735675717309580.
Mechanick JI, Youdim A, Jones DB, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient-2013 update: cosponsored by American association of clinical endocrinologists, the obesity society, and American society fo. Obesity. 2013;21(SUPPL. 1):159–91. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2012.12.010
Fierabracci P, Pinchera A, Martinelli S, et al. Prevalence of endocrine diseases in morbidly obese patients scheduled for bariatric surgery: beyond diabetes. Obes Surg. 2011;21(1):54–60.
Janković D, Wolf P, Anderwald C-H, et al. Prevalence of endocrine disorders in morbidly obese patients and the effects of bariatric surgery on endocrine and metabolic parameters. Obes Surg. 2012;22(1):62–9. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11695-011-0545-4
Ojomo KA, Schneider DF, Reiher AE, et al. Using BMI to predict optimal thyroid dosing following\n Thyroidectomy. 2013;216(3):454–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2012.12.002.
Rubio IGS, Galrão AL, Santo MA, et al. Levothyroxine absorption in morbidly obese patients before and after Roux-En-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Obes Surg. 2012;22(2):253–8.
Michalaki MA, Gkotsina MI, Mamali I, et al. Impaired pharmacokinetics of levothyroxine in severely obese volunteers. Thyroid. 2011;21(5):477–81. Available from: http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.2010.0149
Raftopoulos Y, Gagne DJ, Papasavas P, et al. Improvement of hypothyroidism after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Obes Surg. 2004;14(4):509–13. https://doi.org/10.1381/096089204323013514.
Farwell AP. Clinical thyroidology for the public A publication of the American Thyroid Association among hypothyroid patients? A publication of the American Thyroid Association Thyroid Awareness Monthly Campaigns The ATA will be highlighting a distinct thyroid. Clin Thyroidol Public 2017;10(7):3–4.
Gkotsina M, Michalaki M, Mamali I, et al. Improved levothyroxine pharmacokinetics after bariatric surgery. Thyroid. 2013;23(4):414–9. Available from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.2011.0526
Gadiraju S, Lee CJ, Cooper DS. Levothyroxine dosing following bariatric surgery. Obes Surg. 2016;26(10):2538–42. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-016-2314-x
Sawaya RA, Jaffe J, Friedenberg L, et al. Vitamin, mineral, and drug absorption following bariatric surgery. Curr Drug Metab. 2012;13(9):1345–55. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3571763&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
Smith A, Henriksen B, Cohen A. Pharmacokinetic considerations in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2011;68(23):2241–7.
Garber JR, Cobin RH, Gharib H, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for hypothyroidism in adults: cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association. Endocr Pract. 2012;18(6):988–1028. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23246686
Fierabracci P, Martinelli S, Tamberi A, et al. Weight loss and variation of levothyroxine requirements in hypothyroid obese patients after bariatric surgery. Thyroid. 2016;26(4):499–503. Available from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/thy.2015.0473
Orlander PR. Hypothyroidism [Internet]. Medscape. 2018. Available from: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/122393-overview.
Liel Y, Harman-boehm I, Unit E, et al. Evidence for a clinically importante adverse effect of fiber-enriched diet on the bioavailability of levothyroxine in adult hypothyroid patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(2):1–3.
Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;23(6):781–92. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beem.2009.06.006
Ionut V, Bergman RN. Mechanisms responsible for excess weight loss after bariatric surgery. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2011;5(5):1263–82.
Ochner CN, Gibson C, Shanik M, et al. Changes in neurohormonal gut peptides following bariatric surgery. Int J Obes. 2011;35(2):153–66.
Miras AD, Le Roux CW. Mechanisms underlying weight loss after bariatric surgery. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;10(10):575–84. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2013.119
Aggarwal S, Modi S, Jose T. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leads to reduction in thyroxine requirement in morbidly obese patients with hypothyroidism. World J Surg. 2014;38(10):2628–31.
Sundaram U, McBride C, Shostrom V, et al. Prevalence of preoperative hypothyroidism in bariatric surgery patients and postoperative change in thyroid hormone requirements. Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care. 2013;8(4):147–51. Available from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/bari.2013.0006
Azizi F, Belur R, Albano J. Malabsorption of thyroid hormones after jejunoileal bypass for obesity. Ann Intern Med. 1979;90(6):941–2.
Bevan JS, Munro J. Thyroxine malabsorption following intestinal bypass surgery. Int J Obes. 1986;10(3):245–6.
Topliss DJ, Wright JA, Volpe R. Increased requirement for thyroid hormone after a jejunoileal bypass operation. Can Med Assoc J. 1980;123(8):765–6.
Santini F, Pinchera A, Marsili A, et al. Lean body mass is a major determinant of levothyroxine dosage in the treatment of thyroid diseases. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90(1):124–7. Available from: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/10.1210/jc.2004-1306
Nimmo WS. Drugs, diseases and altered gastric emptying. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1976;1(3):189–203.
Joon Kim P, Sachmechi I. Levothyroxine malabsorption induced by diabetic gastroparesis exacerbated during pregnancies: effect of intramuscular levothyroxine injections and levothyroxine soft gel capsules. AACE Clinical Case Reports. 2015;1(1):73–8.
Skelin M, Lucijanić T, Amidžić Klarić D, et al. Factors affecting gastrointestinal absorption of levothyroxine: a review. Clin Ther. 2017;39(2):378–403.
Quercia I, Dutia R, Kotler DP, et al. Gastrointestinal changes after bariatric surgery. Diabetes Metab. 2014;40(2):87–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabet.2013.11.003.
Burton PR, Yap K, Brown WA, et al. Effects of adjustable gastric bands on gastric emptying, supra- and infraband transit and satiety: a randomized double-blind crossover trial using a new technique of band visualization. Obes Surg. 2010;20(12):1690–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
For this type of study, formal consent is not required.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pedro, J., Cunha, F., Souteiro, P. et al. The Effect of the Bariatric Surgery Type on the Levothyroxine Dose of Morbidly Obese Hypothyroid Patients. OBES SURG 28, 3538–3543 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-018-3388-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-018-3388-4