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ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND THYROID FUNCTION TESTS: THE DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID DISEASE
Author(s) -
Winikoff Dora
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1971.tb88041.x
Subject(s) - medicine , euthyroid , thyroid , pill , thyroid disease , thyroid function , thyroid function tests , population , triiodothyronine , endocrinology , globulin , iodine , chemistry , pharmacology , environmental health , organic chemistry
An attempt has been made to establish a set of reliable criteria for the diagnosis of thyroid disorder in women taking oral contraceptives. A thyroid profile comprising the following parameters has been selected: Serum protein‐bound iodine and/or serum thyroxine iodine level, triiodothyronine resin uptake, electrophoretic index and total binding of thyroxlnebinding globulin. In addition the free thyroxine index and “binding ratio” were also calculated. A combination of these tests expressed as a percentage deviation from mean values established for a normal untreated population can be adapted to various techniques employed In different laboratories. These general limits are valid for all œstrogen levels present in oral contraceptives. By these means a group of 51 patients suffering from thyroid dysfunction were separated from 61 normal controls and 76 euthyroid patients who were also taking “the Pill”, 20 normal pregnant women and 31 patients treated with œstrogen only were also investigated. It is concluded that thyroid disease can be diagnosed without the need to interrupt the contraceptive regimen, provided that thyroxine‐blnding globulin levels are not altered by factors beyond the limits expected when “the Pill” Is being taken.