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Serum biomarkers for cardiovascular inflammation in subclinical hypothyroidism

William J Hueston1, Dana E King, Mark E Geesey

  • 1Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, 29425, USA. huestowj@musc.edu

Clinical Endocrinology
|November 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is linked to cardiovascular disease. This study found no difference in cardiac inflammation biomarkers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and homocysteine, between individuals with SCH and euthyroid controls.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in individuals with elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and normal thyroxine levels, a condition known as subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH).
  • Inflammatory biomarkers are associated with cardiac disease, making their evaluation in SCH relevant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether individuals with SCH exhibit higher levels of cardiac-associated inflammatory biomarkers compared to euthyroid individuals.
  • To determine the association between SCH and elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002.
  • Identification of respondents aged 40 and above meeting laboratory criteria for SCH.
  • Comparison of C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine levels in SCH individuals versus euthyroid controls, with adjustments for potential confounders.

Main Results:

  • A total of 1608 individuals were analyzed, with 45 (2.8%) diagnosed with SCH.
  • No significant differences were observed in median, mean, or elevated frequencies of CRP or homocysteine between the SCH group and euthyroid controls.
  • Linear regression models, adjusted for age, gender, cardiac risk factors, and cholesterol-lowering drug use, showed no association between SCH and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) or homocysteine levels (P = 0.62 and P = 0.63, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • In a large, population-based sample, hsCRP and homocysteine levels do not differ between individuals with SCH and euthyroid individuals.
  • These findings suggest that cardiac inflammation is not elevated in individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism.
Abstract

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