Could a thyroid pill boost heart health in dialysis patients?
NCT ID NCT03977207
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving a thyroid hormone supplement (levothyroxine) to dialysis patients with mild hypothyroidism can improve their quality of life and heart health. About 336 adults on hemodialysis will receive either the hormone or a placebo for up to two years. The goal is to see if this common treatment actually helps this specific group.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone supplement)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a safe way to improve quality of life and reduce heart disease risk in dialysis patients with mild hypothyroidism.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-sized trial, but the condition is mild and the benefits may be small. There is also a risk of overtreatment or side effects from thyroid hormone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 336 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2020
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2025
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-75 years old * Received hemodialysis at least four weeks * Have two consecutive thyrotropin (TSH) levels \>3.0-10.0mIU/L during the screening period * Have normal free thyroxine (FT4) levels * Have ability to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Active treatment with thyroid hormone supplementation or anti-thyroid medications * Active receipt of dialysis * Prior kidney transplantation * Life expectancy less than six months * Active malignancy or prior thyroid malignancy * Active pregnancy or planning a pregnancy * Active coronary ischemia or atrial fibrillation (evaluated by EKG) * Active congestive heart failure exacerbation * Osteoporosis * Weight in excess of 450 lbs. * Hyperthyroidism as determined by TSH \<0.5mIU/L during the screening period, anti-thyroid medication use, or hyperthyroidism diagnosis
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of California Irvine
RECRUITINGOrange, California, 92868, United States
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