Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
Even when treated for hypothyroidism, pregnant women with higher TSH levels face a greater risk of preeclampsia. A new study found that women on levothyroxine who developed preeclampsia had significantly higher TSH levels — especially in the second and third trimesters — suggesting the standard TSH cutoff may be too lenient for this population.
Pregnant women being treated for hypothyroidism with levothyroxine aren't necessarily in the clear when it comes to preeclampsia risk. A new retrospective study presented at the American Thyroid Association annual meeting found that women on levothyroxine who developed preeclampsia had notably higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels than those who didn't — pointing to a potential gap in how we monitor thyroid function during pregnancy.
The study, led by medical student Pranavi Kolla from the Keck School of Medicine at USC, analyzed 256 pregnant women on levothyroxine between 2015 and 2023. The TSH differences were most pronounced in the second and third trimesters, with no significant difference seen in the first trimester.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings suggest clinicians may need to set tighter TSH targets for pregnant women on levothyroxine and monitor more closely in the second and third trimesters to potentially reduce preeclampsia risk.
