Low T3 syndrome as cause of obesity

Abstract

It is well-known that hypothyroidism predisposes to weight gain and obesity, but in the synthesis process of the thyroid hormones there are several steps that can fail producing the same consequence. In this respect, almost all studies talk about the decrease in T3 levels in cases of hospitalization but none as the primary cause of obesity. Here we report a case of chronic obesity since childhood with persistent low T3 values, high deiodinase (DIO)-2 and normal reverse T3, thus proposing that low T3 syndrome is not only the result of a critical condition but could be previous to any acute disease leading to weight gain and obesity.