Quality of life among patients on levothyroxine: A cross-sectional study

Thyroid disorders affect the life quality of patients in various aspects. The present work aims at investigating the effect of thyroid hormonal status on the quality of life (QoL) among patients receiving Levothyroxine at the level of primary healthcare.

All patients receiving Levothyroxine at an academic primary healthcare center were included in a cross-sectional evaluation. QoL was measured by the Thyroid-Related Patient-Reported Outcome questionnaire (ThyPRO). The conducted analysis was based on the last thyroid hormones level during the last year and questionnaire scores where higher scores indicated lower QoL.

We included 127 patients; all domains of their QoL questionnaire were affected. The highest scored domain of the ThyPRO was tiredness, while the least was goiter symptoms. An association between the affected QoL and thyroid hormones could not be built. Certain domains of the ThyPRO were influenced by the existence of comorbid diseases.

QoL was impacted in patients receiving Levothyroxine, regardless of hormonal status. Management of comorbid diseases and patients' concerns are advised to be taken into consideration to achieve a satisfying treatment. We highly recommend the integration of health life quality assessments in primary health care systems.