The Study
Post-partum and non-post-partum relapsing Graves' hyperthyroidism display different response to anti-thyroid drugs.
This study looked at two groups of women who got sick again after treatment and noticed that those who got sick after having a baby seemed to get better more often. But it didn’t make anyone sick on purpose or control other differences — so we can’t say having a baby caused the better result, just that the two groups were different.
Analysis score
Maximum 58 for a case-control study.
Where the score came from
Some women with thyroid trouble come back after having a baby, and their bodies seem to respond better to the same medicine than women whose thyroid trouble comes back at other times.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 534 / 100
Quality score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if your thyroid flares up right after having a baby, you’re more likely to get better with the same medicine again, and your body may be calming down its immune attack differently.
- 279% of moms whose thyroid came back within a year after birth went into remission after taking methimazole again; only 32% of women whose thyroid came back at other times did.
- 3Their antibody levels dropped a lot in moms, but not in others.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European journal of endocrinology
Year
2018
Authors
M. Rotondi, V. Capelli, F. Coperchini, S. Pinto, L. Croce, M. Tonacchera, L. Chiovato
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.