Evaluating the effectiveness of combined T4 and T3 therapy or desiccated thyroid versus T4 monotherapy in hypothyroidism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 1 Summary of meta-analysis results comparing combined T4 + T3 therapy to T4 monotherapy across various clinical outcomes

Outcome	No. of RCT	Total number of patients		Heterogeneity				Test for overall effect		Mean Difference	95% CI
Outcome	No. of RCT	T4 + T3	T4	Tau²	Chi²	df	I²	Z	P	Mean Difference	95% CI
TSH	10	382	412	1.52	247.98	9 (P < 0.00001)	96%	0.48	0.63	0.20	[-0.63, 1.04]
Total T4	4	168	168	0.46	10.20	3 (P = 0.02)	71%	5.19	< 0.00001	-2.20	[-3.03, -1.37]
Free T4	10	366	391	0.04	252.73	9 (P < 00001)	96%	4.89	< 0.00001	-0.34	[-0.47, -0.20]
Total T3	6	216	215	27.16	7.51	5 (P = 0.19)	33%	7.87	< 0.00001	29.82	[22.40, 37.25]
Heart rate	6	178	182	0.00	1.02	5 (P = 0.96)	0%	0.18	0.85	0.14	[-1.39, 1.68]
SHBG	8	330	329	28.71	12.06	7 (P = 0.10)	42%	0.76	0.45	2.44	[-3.87, 8.75]
LDL	6	180	184	45.72	7.47	5 (P = 0.19)	33%	1.18	0.24	-5.79	[-15.39, 3.81]
Total cholesterol	10	414	418	90.48	26.88	8 (P = 0.0007)	70%	1.29	0.20	-5.47	[-13.80, 2.85]
HDL	4	150	150	18.33	9.29	3 (P = 0.03)	68%	0.84	0.40	2.30	[-3.09, 7.69]
Triglyceride	7	259	258	157.24	10.64	6 (P = 0.10)	44%	0.44	0.66	-3.23	[-17.72, 11.27]
TSQ-36	2	185	185	0.95	2.41	1 (P = 0.12)	58%	0.33	0.74	0.27	[-1.34, 1.88]
GHQ-28	2	140	140	4.64	2.57	1 (P = 0.11)	61%	0.95	0.34	1.71	[-1.82, 5.23]
BDI score	2	85	85	0.00	0.82	1 (P = 0.37)	0%	0.38	0.70	-0.39	[-2.41, 1.62]

RCT Randomized Controlled Trials, T4 Thyroxine, T3 Triiodothyronine, Tau² Tau-squared, Chi² Chi-squared, df Degrees of Freedom, I² I-squared (Heterogeneity), Z Z-score, P P-value, SHBG Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin, LDL Low-Density Lipoprotein, HDL High-Density Lipoprotein, TSQ-36 Thyroid Symptom Questionnaire-36, GHQ-28 General Health Questionnaire-28, BDI Beck Depression Inventory

ISSN: 1472-6823