[The vascular wall in postmenopausal women with hypothyroidism and hypertension]

To study a relationship between thyroid function and the stiffness of great arteries in postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension (AH).

The trial enrolled 76 postmenopausal patients with clinical hypothyroidism (CHT) (n = 24) or subclinical hypothyroidism (SCHT) (n = 52) and AH; a control group consisted of 40 postmenopausal women with euthyroidism. Body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure (BP), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, total cholesterol, triglycerides were determines; volumetric sphygmography was performed. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured; cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were determined.

The patients with CHT or SCHT and the controls were matched for age, BMI, BP, and heart rate. TSH levels in patients with SCHT (6.23 (5.27; 8.22) microU/ml) and in those with CHT (11.8 (9.09; 22.7) microU/ml) were statistically significantly higher than in the control group (2.25 (1.5; 2.72) microU/ml) (p < 0.05). BaPWV in the patients with SCHT (14.35 (12.5; 15.5) m/sec) and in those with CHT (13.75 (13.05; 15.25) m/sec) was also statistically significantly higher than in the control group (12.85 (12; 13.9) m/sec) (p < 0.05). Comparison of ABI and CAVI revealed no significant differences between the groups. Univariate analysis of the findings showed a significant impact on higher arterial stiffness in the SCHT and the CHT groups. Total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the SCHT group than in the control one.

The patients with AH and hypothyroidism versus their peers with AH and without thyroid function had significant rises in blood cholesterol levels and arterial stiffness. The rise in lipid levels was significantly marked only in the patients with SCHT; and baPWV equally increased in both the SCHT and the CHT groups.