Iron Deficiency Anemia Can be an Indication for Treatment of Subclinical Hypothyroidism

51 Patients presented to our university outpatient internal medicine clinic who are found to have iron deficiency anemia coexisting with subclinical hypothyroidism have been included in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to oral iron or oral iron plus levothyroxin therapy. The physician and the patients did not know who received oral iron only or oral iron plus levothyroxine treatment. Hematologic parameters as well as serum iron, ferritin and iron binding capacity were being measured at the beginning and 3 months after treatment in both groups.

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis and laboratory confirmation of iron deficiency anemia and subclinical hypothyroidism
• Must be able to swallow tablets

Exclusion criteria

• Multifactorial anemia or anemia due to other reasons
• Iron deficiency anemia requiring urgent intervention- cardiac ischemia, severe anemia, GI or GU losses due to malignancy and or acute/subacute big loses by respiratory, Gİ, GU, etc. system
• Prior thyroid disorder and/or treatment history
• Presence of any other co-morbid disease like renal insufficiency/ failure, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, any endocrine system disease other than subclinical hypothyroidism