That's because thyroid hormone receptor-beta, while present mainly in the liver, is also widely distributed elsewhere in the body, including the pituitary, raising the possibility of systemic side effects even with selective thyromimetic agonist therapy, according to Dr. Grundy (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2008;105:409–10), who is chairman of the department of clinical nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and cochair of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Adult Treatment Panel IV.
Dr. Ladenson disclosed that he has no financial ties to any commercial interests.
Thyromimetics may be an alternative for statin-intolerant patients, and an adjunct for greater LDL reductions. DR. LADENSON