Increased Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity in Patients Treated for Toxic Nodular Goiter Compared to Graves' Disease and Nontoxic Goiter.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease in patients treated for hyperthyroidism. However, studies on this subject are heterogeneous, often based on old data, or have not considered the impact that treatment for hyperthyroidism might have on cardiovascular risk. It is also unclear whether long-term prognosis differs between Graves' disease and toxic nodular goiter. The aim of this study was to use a very large cohort built on recent data to assess whether improvements in cardiovascular care might have changed the prognosis over time. The study also investigated the impact of different etiologies of hyperthyroidism. METHODS: This was an observational register study for the period 1976-2012, with subjects followed for a median period of 18.4 years. Study patients were Stockholm residents treated for Graves' disease or toxic nodular goiter with either radioactive iodine or surgery (N = 12,239). This group was compared to Stockholm residents treated for nontoxic goiter (N = 3685), with adjustments made for age, sex, comorbidities, and time of treatment. Comparisons were also made to the general population of Stockholm. Outcomes were assessed in terms of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality as well as cardiovascular morbidity. RESULTS: The hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality and for cardiovascular mortality were 1.27 [confidence interval (CI) 1.20-1.35] and 1.29 [CI 1.17-1.42], respectively, for hyperthyroid patients compared to those with nontoxic goiter. For cardiovascular morbidity, the HR was 1.12 [CI 1.06-1.18]. Patients aged ≥45 years who were treated for toxic nodular goiter were generally at greater risk than others, and those included from the year 1990 and onwards were at greater risk than those included earlier. Increased all-cause mortality, as well as cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, were also seen in comparisons with the general population. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large study to indicate that the long-term risk of death and cardiovascular disease in hyperthyroid subjects is due to the hyperthyroidism itself and not an effect of confounding introduced by its treatment. Much of the excess risk is confined to individuals treated for toxic nodular goiter. Despite advances in cardiovascular care during recent decades, hyperthyroidism is still a diagnosis associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Characteristics and attitudes of women in relation to chosen fertility preservation techniques: a prospective, multicenter questionnaire-based study with 144 participants.

OBJECTIVE: What are the patients attitudes about their fertility and about the counselling process at the time when fertility preservation counselling is performed? STUDY DESIGN: A survey regarding fertility concerns and counselling performance in relation to the chosen fertility preservation procedure such as no treatment, GnRH agonists, and freezing of ovarian tissue or oocytes/zygotes was prospectively conducted in four university centres and one private centre, all belonging to the network FertiPROTEKT in Germany and Switzerland. RESULTS: All women (n=145) received a questionnaire at the first counselling appointment. The mean age of the patients was 30 years (±5.8, range 17-43 years). 91% were referred by their treating oncologists. Single patients preferred invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (44.3%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (36%), whereas only 19.7% opted for no treatment/GnRH agonists. In married couples, the proportions were 28.9%, 31.1% and 40.0% respectively. Women without children also opted more frequently for invasive strategies, such as freezing of oocytes/zygotes (84.5%) or freezing of ovarian tissue (74.1%), and less frequently for no treatment/GnRH agonists (63.3%). Physical and psychological status, current and future fertility concerns and satisfaction with the counselling process were equal in all treatment groups. CONCLUSION: As fertility concerns and attitudes about the counselling process were independent from the fertility preservation procedure chosen, the preferred treatment can hardly be predicted and therefore all women should be counselled about all possible fertility preservation techniques.