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Changes in cardiac function at rest before and after treatment in primary hypothyroidism
E T Tielens1, M Pillay, C Storm
1Department of Internal Medicine, Zuiderziekenhuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The American Journal of Cardiology
|November 15, 2000
Summary
Hypothyroidism can cause subtle heart muscle delays and impaired relaxation, reversible with treatment. Radionuclide ventriculography showed these changes, while echocardiography only detected them in severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Hypothyroidism is associated with cardiovascular complications.
- Cardiac function, including electromechanical delay and diastolic relaxation, may be affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reversibility of cardiac function changes in hypothyroid patients after restoring euthyroidism.
- To compare radionuclide ventriculography and Doppler echocardiography findings.
Main Methods:
- Studied 26 hypothyroid patients at diagnosis and after treatment.
- Utilized radionuclide ventriculography to assess electromechanical delay and diastolic relaxation.
- Employed Doppler echocardiography to evaluate cardiac function and geometry.
Main Results:
- Radionuclide ventriculography showed reversible prolongation of contraction time and improved early diastolic relaxation.
- Global systolic function (ejection fraction) remained unchanged.
- Doppler echocardiography revealed significant changes only in severely hypothyroid patients, including decreased septal wall thickness and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter.
Conclusions:
- Primary hypothyroidism causes subtle, reversible cardiac electromechanical delays and impaired early diastolic relaxation, detectable by radionuclide ventriculography.
- Doppler echocardiography is less sensitive, showing changes only in severe hypothyroidism.