Vitamin D in the treatment of anxiety in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism in the West-Ukrainian population

Abstract

Objective — to study the effects of cholecalciferol on the level of anxiety in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism in the Western Ukrainian population.
 Materials and methods. The study included 56 patients with hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune thyroiditis. Hypothyroidism was diagnosed under the guidance of recommendations of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2012. To verify autoimmune thyroiditis, the following was taken into account: related clinical signs, sonograms of the thyroid gland (reduced echogenicity) and reveal of the circulating antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin. The patients were divided into two groups. Patients of the first group (n = 28) received cholecalciferol in a dose of 4000 IU/24 hours (28 000 IU/week) and L‑thyroxine ((88.39 ± 12.70) mkg/24 hours). Patients of the second group (n = 28) were administered L‑thyroxine only ((87.50 ± 12.73) mkg/24 hours). Presence of anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA). Examinations were performed at the baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment.
 Results. Assessment of the anxiety level by Hamilton scale after the treatment of patients of the first group demonstrated the significant reduction of anxiety level by 48.27 %, whereas in the second group by 18.25 % (p < 0.001). In the patients of the first group after treatment, anxiety disappeared in 42.9 % of subjects, and mild anxiety according to the Hamilton scale remained in 57.1 %. At the same time, in the second group 21.4 % of patients had moderate anxiety, 78.6 % had mild anxiety. Thus, there was a significant decrease in the anxiety level according to the Hamilton scale after the treatment of patients of the first group compared to the subjects of the second group..
 Conclusions. Patients suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism should be administered vitamin D supplementation with the purpose of attenuation of anxiety disorders.