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Thyroidectomy, statins may reduce risk of ophthalmopathy in patients with Graves’ disease
Thyroid removal and statin use diminished the risk of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy in patients with Graves’ disease, according to study results.
The longitudinal cohort study included 8,404 patients with newly diagnosed Graves’ disease (GD), 740 of whom developed thyrdoid-associated ophthalmolpathy (TAO).
Ocular manifestations of TAO included proptosis, Graves’ eye disease, restrictive strabismus, eye lid retraction, exposure keratopathy and compressive optic neuropathy.
The mean interval between initial diagnosis of GD and first diagnosis of TAO was 374 days.
The researchers used multivariable Cox regression analysis to gauge the risk of developing TAO in patients with GD. Data were adjusted for demographic factors, systemic conditions, thyrotropin levels and medical or surgical management of hyperthyroidism.
Adjusted data showed surgical thyroidectomy, alone or combined with medical therapy, reduced the risk of developing TAO by 74% compared with radioactive iodine therapy alone. Use of statins reduced the risk of developing TAO by 40%, according to the researchers.
The researchers found no significant relationship between the use of non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications or cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors and the onset of TAO.
Prospective analysis is needed to ascertain whether statin use or thyroidectomymay may delay or prevent TAO in patients with GD, the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.