Thyroid Research Thyroid Research Archive Thyroid Disease

Kidney function is altered in hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism

(July 2005)

The background of the study. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are associated with changes in kidney function, but the extent of the changes has not been studied often. In this study, kidney function was measured in patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism before and after treatment.

How the study was done. The study was done in 37 patients with hypothyroidism caused by chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and in 14 patients with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves’ disease. Serum creatinine and the glomerular filtration rate, key tests of kidney function, were measured before treatment and again after the patients had been treated with either thyroxine or an antithyroid drug for at least three months.

The results of the study. Among the patients with hypothyroidism, the mean serum creatinine concentration was normal before (1.0 mg/dl) and after treatment (0.9 mg/dl). The glomerular filtration rates were 70 and 83 ml/min (normal, 80 to 120), respectively.

Among the patients with hyperthyroidism, the mean pretreatment and postreatment serum creatinine concentrations were 0.6 and 0.8 mg/dl, and the glomerular filtration rates were 135 and 96 ml/min, respectively.

The conclusions of the study. Kidney function, as determined by measurements of glomerular filtration, is decreased in hypothyroidism and increased in hyperthyroidism.

The original article. den Hollander JG, Wulkan RW, Mantel MJ, Berghout A. Correlation between severity of thyroid dysfunction and renal function. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2005;62:423-7.