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Subclinical hypothyroidism increases miscarriage risk
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The risk for a miscarriage before 20 weeks of pregnancy is increased in women with subclinical hypothyroidism compared with women with euthyroidism, study data show.
Zhongyan Shan, MD, PhD, of the department of endocrinology and metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on nine studies conducted from 1980 to 2015. Studies included compared the prevalence of miscarriage among pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism with miscarriages among those with euthyroidism.
The prevalence of miscarriage was significantly higher in the subclinical hypothyroidism group compared with the euthyroidism group (RR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.59-2.27).
Among participants with subclinical hypothyroidism, those who remained untreated had a significantly increased risk for miscarriage compared with those who underwent effective drug therapy (RR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.03-2.19).
Participants with subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity had an increased risk for miscarriage compared with participants with subclinical hypothyroidism alone (RR = 2.47; 95% CI, 1.77-3.45).
“[Subclinical hypothyroidism] is a risk factor for miscarriage in women before 20 weeks of pregnancy, and early treatments can reduce the miscarriage rate,” the researchers wrote. “With either diagnostic criterion, the risk of miscarriage will increase once [subclinical hypothyroidism] is diagnosed. However, specific diagnostic criteria might result in increased diagnosis of miscarriage that would have been missed otherwise. The miscarriage rate is higher in isolated [subclinical hypothyroidism] subjects and increases further in [subclinical hypothyroidism] pregnant women with positive thyroid autoantibodies.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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