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Diffuse Myocardial Injuries are Present in Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Clinical Study Using Myocardial T1-mapping
1Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China.
Insights
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) shows early myocardial injuries detectable by cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping. This technique can identify diffuse cardiac damage in SHT patients, aiding early diagnosis and intervention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) is linked to cardiovascular risks, but detecting associated myocardial injuries is challenging.
- Previous research established cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping for overt hypothyroidism, suggesting potential for SHT.
- Early identification of cardiac changes in SHT is crucial for preventing adverse cardiovascular events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of diffuse myocardial injuries in subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) patients.
- To evaluate the utility of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping for detecting these injuries.
- To correlate T1 mapping findings with thyroid hormone levels and cardiac function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping to assess myocardial tissue characteristics.
- Compared native T1 values in the left ventricles of SHT participants and healthy controls.
- Analyzed correlations between T1 values, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and left ventricular diastolic function (peak filling rate - PFR).
Main Results:
- SHT participants exhibited significantly increased native T1 values in the left ventricle compared to controls (p < 0.01).
- Elevated T1 values were more pronounced in SHT patients with TSH levels ≥10 µIU/mL.
- Native T1 values showed a negative correlation with FT4 (r=-0.476, p=0.003) and a positive correlation with TSH (r=0.489, p=0.002).
- Left ventricular diastolic function, measured by PFR, was significantly reduced in SHT patients with TSH ≥10 µIU/mL (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Diffuse myocardial injuries are present in subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT).
- Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping is a valuable tool for detecting early, mild myocardial injuries in SHT.
- This study provides the first evidence of myocardial injuries in SHT using T1 mapping, highlighting its diagnostic potential.
Abstract:
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) is a common disorder that may represent early thyroid dysfunction and is related to adverse cardiovascular events. However, myocardial injuries induced by SHT are difficult to detect. Our previous study demonstrated that the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) myocardial longitudinal relaxation time (T1) mapping technique is a useful tool for assessing diffuse myocardial injuries in overt hypothyroidism patients. This study was designed to detect whether diffuse myocardial injuries were present in SHT by using the T1 mapping technique. We found that SHT participants had significantly increased native T1 values within four segments of the left ventricle (all p < 0.01), especially patients with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels ≥10 µIU/mL, compared with those in the controls. In addition, the native T1 values were negatively correlated with free thyroxine (FT4) (r = -0.476, p = 0.003) and were positively correlated with TSH (r = 0.489, p = 0.002). Furthermore, left ventricular diastolic function estimated by the peak filling rate (PFR) was significantly lower in patients with TSH levels ≥10 µIU/mL than that in the controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, diffuse myocardial injuries were present in SHT, and T1 mapping may be a useful tool for evaluating mild myocardial injuries in SHT at an early stage. Our study is the first to confirm myocardial injuries in SHT patients using T1 mapping.
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