ReviewJournal of endocrinological investigation2025
Process to radioactive iodine treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism: condemned or absolved?
Review in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Thyroid eye disease in the context of autoimmune polyglandular syndromes: comparative clinical insights from a retrospective study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Graves' orbitopathy following Alemtuzumab treatment for multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and real-world insights.Thyroid research · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRadioactive iodine (RAI) is an effective treatment for Graves' disease, as it eradicates hyperthyroidism in > 90% of cases after a single dose. It causes lifelong hypothyroidism. Its popularity has declined in the last 15 years, due to several reasons, including the desire to avoid permanent hypothyroidism and preserve the thyroid, the fear to increase all-cause mortality, cardiovascular/cerebrovascular mortality and major cardiovascular events (MACE), the concern about radiation-related (thyroidal and nonthyroidal) cancer or occurrence/progression of Graves' orbitopathy (GO), and pregnancy planning in the near future.
designNarrative review.
resultsHyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular mortality, MACE, cancer, occurrence/progression of GO, gonadal dysfunction in both sexes, impaired health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). RAI does not increase all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, MACE, cancer, and may rather reduce them if treatment promptly results in hypothyroidism. RAI bears a small risk of de novo occurrence or progression of mild GO, preventable by steroid prophylaxis. It may be used also in moderate-to-severe and active GO, if the latter is concomitantly treated with high-dose immunosuppression. RAI neither permanently impairs gonadal function or fertility nor is associated with abnormalities in the offspring. Recent evidence on HR-QoL after RAI is reassuring.
conclusionsRAI is not only an effective treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism, but is also safe. Its declining reputation should be rehabilitated. A balanced and unbiased presentation of its advantages and disadvantages by the physician to the patient is warranted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40768183What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.