Safer thyroid hormone use for older adults
Optimizing Care for Older Adults through Thyroid Hormone Deprescribing
This program helps doctors and patients safely lower or stop thyroid hormone pills for older adults who may be taking too much.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181507 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a multi-site program called D-THIO that uses clear pharmacy letters to doctors and patient-focused education to guide lowering or stopping levothyroxine when it isn’t needed or is too high. The approach includes checking thyroid tests, reviewing why the medicine was started, and offering step-down or stopping plans overseen by your care team. The work is being done at multiple clinical sites led by the University of Michigan and compares this outreach-based approach to usual care. The goal is to reduce overtreatment and its risks while keeping patients safe and monitored.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults (typically aged 65 and up) who are taking levothyroxine long-term and may be on a higher-than-needed dose or lack a clear reason for treatment could be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who clearly need lifelong thyroid replacement—such as after thyroid removal or with documented severe hypothyroidism—are unlikely to benefit from deprescribing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce unnecessary thyroid medication, lowering risks like heart rhythm problems, bone loss, and other harms from too much thyroid hormone.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown harms from thyroid overtreatment and some single-site or observational deprescribing efforts have reduced unnecessary meds, but this is the first multi-site, multilevel trial of this specific D-THIO approach.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Papaleontiou, Maria — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Papaleontiou, Maria
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.