How is radioiodine therapy used to treat hyperthyroidism?
Before the development of current treatment options, the death rate from severe hyperthyroidism was as high as 50%. Now several effective treatments (antithyroid drugs, surgery, and radioiodine) are available, and death from hyperthyroidism is rare. Deciding which treatment is best depends on what caused the hyperthyroidism, its severity, and other conditions present. Endocrinologists are experienced in the management of thyroid diseases and can confidently diagnose the cause of hyperthyroidism and prescribe and manage the best treatment program for each patient. Thousands of patients have received radioiodine treatment, including former President of the United States George Bush and his wife, Barbara. The treatment appears to be a very safe, simple, and reliably effective one. Because of this, it is considered by most thyroid specialists in the United States to be the treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism cases caused by overproduction of thyroid hormones. Radioactive iodine is give
