Researchers at Walter Reed conducted a double-blind randomly controlled study comparing levothyroxine with dessicated thyroid extract. Their results:

There were no differences in symptoms and neurocognitive measurements between the 2 therapies. Patients lost 3 lb on DTE treatment… At the end of the study, 34 patients (48.6%) preferred DTE, 13 (18.6%) preferred L-T₄, and 23 (32.9%) had no preference. In the subgroup analyses, those patients who preferred DTE lost 4 lb during the DTE treatment, and their subjective symptoms were significantly better while taking DTE as measured by the general health questionnaire-12 and thyroid symptom questionnaire…

Desiccated thyroid extract compared with levothyroxine in the treatment of hypothyroidism: a randomized, double-blind, crossover study.

I wonder if glandular therapy might be the next “quackery” that is rediscovered by medical researchers.

Further Reading:

• Study finds thyroid extracts to be a viable treatment for some people with hypothyroidism
• Study Opens Door For Additional Treatment Option For Hypothyroidism