Levothyroxine (LT4), the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, is recommended to be taken in a fasting state to optimize absorption. However, this approach may reduce patient adherence due to inconvenience. To address this challenge, a randomized controlled trial evaluated whether nonfasting LT4 intake with a 15% dose increase could maintain TSH stability compared with standard fasting intake in 88 patients with controlled hypothyroidism.
The study found that TSH stability was comparable between fasting (74.4%) and breakfast groups (73.3%), with similar findings in the crossover group. The breakfast group reported greater improvement in well-being (33.3% vs 16.3%) and a stronger preference for nonfasting intake (76.2% vs 44.2%), with 88.9% opting to continue nonfasting intake by study end. These findings suggest that taking levothyroxine with breakfast, with a 15% dose increase, may…
