Mechanistic Study of Subclinical Hypothyroidism In the Elderly

February 16, 2021 updated by: University of Pennsylvania

The Thyroid Axis in Older Individuals With Persistent Subclinical Hypothyroidism: a Mechanistic, Randomized, Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine Administration

Subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as an elevated TSH in the setting of normal thyroid hormone levels, is a common diagnosis in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to examine the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in men and women aged 70 years and older with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism. To evaluate the mechanism behind this condition, participants will undergo thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation testing at 3 visits: baseline and while taking two different thyroid hormone preparations, levothyroxine and liothyronine. The investigators will also assess physiologic responses to these two different thyroid hormone medications to help us understand how the thyroid works in advanced age.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
14

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • University of Pennsylvania

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

66 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. men and women aged 70 and older
  2. TSH between 4.5 and 19.9 mU/L as an outpatient
  3. ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Laboratory Tests:

  1. TSH <4.5 mU/L or >20 mU/L on repeat testing at least four weeks later or free T4 level outside the reference range
  2. thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody positive
  3. abnormal liver function tests (LFTs >3 x upper limit of normal)
  4. hemoglobin <11 g/dL

Surgeries or Procedures:

  1. thyroid surgery
  2. pituitary surgery
  3. bariatric surgery
  4. bowel resection involving the jejunum and upper ileum
  5. radioactive iodine therapy
  6. radiation treatments to head or neck

Medical Conditions:

  1. diagnosis of pituitary disease
  2. diagnosis of amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis
  3. diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency
  4. obesity with BMI > 35 mg/kg2
  5. history of stroke
  6. chronic or ongoing angina, Class II or higher congestive heart failure, or uncontrolled hypertension with current blood pressure greater than 160/100
  7. diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1C level greater than 8.0% in the past six months
  8. celiac sprue, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
  9. renal insufficiency with calculated glomerular filtration rate <45 cc/min
  10. cognitive impairment with Mini Mental State Exam[30] <24/30
  11. history of any seizures
  12. unstable medical or psychological condition in the judgment of the principal investigator

Medications:

  1. thyroid hormone preparations
  2. antithyroid drugs
  3. medications that interfere with the absorption or metabolism of thyroid hormone
  4. medications that interfere with the TRH stimulation test
  5. proton pump inhibitors

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Levothyroxine First
Participants will start on the thyroid hormone Levothyroxine prior to crossing over to Liothyronine
Drug: Levothyroxine
Oral levothyroxine with a total starting dose of 0.7mcg/kg/day split into three daily doses will be titrated to a target TSH level of 0.5 -1.5mU/L
Other Names:
  • Synthroid
Drug: Liothyronine
Oral liothyronine with a starting dose of 1/3 of the weight-based LT4 dose divided into three daily doses titrated to a target TSH level of 0.5 -1.5mU/L
Other Names:
  • Cytomel
Drug: Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
200 µg intravenous TRH will be given at study visit 1 (baseline), study visit 2 (on first thyroid treatment), and study visit 3 (on second thyroid treatment).
Experimental: Liothyronine First
Participants will start on the thyroid hormone Liothyronine prior to crossing over to Levothyroxine
Drug: Levothyroxine
Oral levothyroxine with a total starting dose of 0.7mcg/kg/day split into three daily doses will be titrated to a target TSH level of 0.5 -1.5mU/L
Other Names:
  • Synthroid
Drug: Liothyronine
Oral liothyronine with a starting dose of 1/3 of the weight-based LT4 dose divided into three daily doses titrated to a target TSH level of 0.5 -1.5mU/L
Other Names:
  • Cytomel
Drug: Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
200 µg intravenous TRH will be given at study visit 1 (baseline), study visit 2 (on first thyroid treatment), and study visit 3 (on second thyroid treatment).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
TSH Area Under the Curve
Time Frame: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 60 min post TRH
TSH area under the curve within 60 minutes of TRH stimulation when TSH is at goal
0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 60 min post TRH
TSH Max
Time Frame: Between 0 and 180 min after TRH stimulation
The maximum concentration of TSH after TRH stimulation when TSH is at goal
Between 0 and 180 min after TRH stimulation
Free T4 Level
Time Frame: An average of 7 months after initiating therapy
Free thyroxine level when TSH level is at goal on therapy.
An average of 7 months after initiating therapy
Total T3 Level
Time Frame: An average of 7 months
Total triiodothyronine level when TSH is at goal on therapy
An average of 7 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Pennsylvania

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Anne R Cappola, MD, ScM, The University of Pennsylvania

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 3, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 26, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 9, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 16, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 821564
  • K24AG042765-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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