levothyroxine_dosing_calculator: Weight-Based Levothyroxine Dose Calculator

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

Weight-Based Levothyroxine Dose Calculator

Description

Calculates the recommended starting dose of levothyroxine for adults with hypothyroidism. The calculation is based on ideal or actual body weight (typically 1.6 mcg/kg for full replacement), adjusted for age, history of coronary artery disease (CAD), and pregnancy status.

Usage

levothyroxine_dosing_calculator(weight_kg, age_years, history_cad,
                                pregnant_trimester = "not_pregnant",
                                tsh_level = NA)

Arguments

weight_kg	Numeric. Patient weight in kilograms. (Ideally Lean Body Weight if obese).
age_years	Numeric. Patient age in years.
history_cad	Numeric (0 or 1). History of Coronary Artery Disease. (1 = Yes).
pregnant_trimester	String. Pregnancy status. Options: "not_pregnant", "first", "second", "third".
tsh_level	Numeric (Optional). Serum TSH level to distinguish subclinical vs overt hypothyroidism.

Value

A list containing:

Recommended_Starting_Dose_mcg	The calculated daily dose in micrograms.
Guidance	Clinical context for the dosing recommendation.

References

Jonklaas J, Bianco AC, Bauer AJ, et al. Guidelines for the treatment of hypothyroidism: prepared by the american thyroid association task force on thyroid hormone replacement. Thyroid. 2014;24(12):1670-1751. doi:10.1089/thy.2014.0028

Examples

# Example 1: Healthy Young Adult
# 70kg, 30yo, No CAD
# Dose = 1.6 * 70 = 112 mcg
levothyroxine_dosing_calculator(70, 30, 0)

# Example 2: Elderly with CAD
# 70kg, 75yo, CAD History (1)
# Dose = 12.5 mcg (Start low)
levothyroxine_dosing_calculator(70, 75, 1)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.