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Cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged women with subclinical hypothyroidism

Rafael Luboshitzky1, Paula Herer

  • 1Endocrine Institute, Haemek Medical center, Afula, Israel. Luboshitzky_r@clalit.org.il

Neuro Endocrinology Letters
|September 14, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Subclinical hypothyroidism in middle-aged women is linked to hypertension and dyslipidemia, but not elevated C-reactive protein or homocysteine levels. These factors do not appear to increase coronary heart disease risk in this group.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Overt hypothyroidism (OH) is a known risk factor for premature atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), prevalent in 15% of middle-aged women, has an unclear association with CHD risk.
  • C-reactive protein (CRP) and total homocysteine (tHct) are emerging cardiovascular risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate cardiovascular risk markers in middle-aged women with newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism (SH).
  • To compare CRP and tHct levels in SH patients against overt hypothyroidism (OH) and euthyroid controls.
  • To assess the association of SH with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of CRP and tHct levels in 44 middle-aged women with newly diagnosed SH.
  • Comparison of cardiovascular risk markers, including blood pressure and lipid profiles, with 10 OH patients and 19 euthyroid controls.
  • Analysis of correlations between CRP, tHct, and other parameters like BMI and age.

Main Results:

  • Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) patients did not show significantly augmented CRP or tHct levels compared to controls.
  • Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly increased in SH patients versus controls.
  • While mean lipid profiles were similar, a higher percentage of SH patients exhibited hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and unfavorable cholesterol ratios.

Conclusions:

  • Subclinical hypothyroidism in middle-aged women is associated with hypertension and dyslipidemia.
  • CRP and tHct do not appear to be major contributors to CHD risk in women with SH.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the cardiovascular implications of SH.
Abstract

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