[ effect of L-thyroxine treatment on memory quotient in adults with subclinical hypothyroidism: a randomized double blind controlled trial]

Introduction: Verbal memory and executive function might be disturbed in subclinical hypothyroidism. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of levothyroxine treatment on the memory quotient of Anti-TPO-Ab positive subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism

Materials and Methods: Sixty Anti-Tpo-Ab positive subjects [51 female, 9 male] with subclinical hypothyroidism with a mean age of 34 were enrolled in this randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Subjects were randomized into two groups, i.e. the case [26 females-4 males] and the controls [25 females, 5 males] groups. Using the Weschler memory test, memory quotient was assessed at the beginning and three months after initiation of levothyroxine treatment

Results: The mean age of subjects was 34.22 +/- 10.75 y and the mean TSH level was 8.25 +/- 3.64 mIU/l. There was no difference between two groups in relation to the memory quotient at the beginning of the study [10.5.70 +/- 11.66 vs 105.87 +/- 11.49, P=0.83]. Following treatment the mean for the memory quotient rose by 9.9 +/- 8.01 in the cases and 3.23 +/- 7.63 in the controls [P=0.002]

Conclusion: In this study we observed an increase in the memory quotient after treatment with levothyroxine in individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism, demonstrating that levothyroxine treatment could be recommended to improve verbal memory and executive function in this group of subjects

[Comparison of life expectancy levels of men and women in Yazd province in 1996 and 2003]

Life expectancy at birth is an indicator of the mean age that a new born will live and this indicator is one of the criteria for evaluation of the heath, economic and social conditions. In this descriptive study, the life expectancy table of men and women in Yazd state is calculated on the basis of probability of death in different age groups during the years 1996 and 2003. In 1996, the life expectancy at birth of women and men were 74.5 and 71.9 years, respectively, while these figures in2003 were 79.5 and 71.9 years, respectively. In 1996, the most and the least life expectancies were in Taft and Mehriz, while in 2003, the most and the least life expectancies were in Mehriz and Yazd city. The results show that the life expectancies of both man and women has increased in Yazd and this increase was more marked in women than men