Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 30, 2025
Author Spotlight: Accurately Assessing Thyroid Hormone-Driven Motor Alterations in Mouse
Published on: October 6, 2023
Thyroid gland dysfunction and its effect on the cardiovascular system: a comprehensive review of the literature
Navid Ahmadi1, Faisal Ahmadi1, Masehullah Sadiqi1
1Chair and Department of Cardiology-Intensive Therapy and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Insights
Thyroid hormones significantly impact heart function, affecting contractility, rhythm, and blood pressure. Understanding these effects is crucial for managing cardiovascular diseases related to thyroid dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The cardiovascular system and thyroid gland share embryologic origins and a close functional relationship.
- Thyroid dysfunction (hypo- and hyperthyroidism) significantly impacts cardiac function, necessitating thyroid screening in cardiovascular patients.
- Thyroid hormones influence cardiac components, making their receptors key targets for cardiovascular modulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the comprehensive effects of thyroid hormones on the cardiovascular system.
- To detail the cellular mechanisms underlying thyroid hormone action on the heart.
- To review cardiac function changes in subclinical and overt thyroid disorders and the impact of treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing existing research on thyroid hormones and cardiovascular function.
- Analysis of cellular mechanisms of thyroid hormone action on cardiac tissues.
- Examination of clinical manifestations and treatment effects in thyroid-related cardiovascular disease.
Main Results:
- Thyroid hormones directly influence vascular resistance, cardiac contractility, blood pressure, and heart rhythm via specific receptors.
- Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism induce significant cardiac changes, including systolic and diastolic dysfunction.
- Thyroid hormone levels are critical for maintaining normal cardiac function, and alterations can lead to profound cardiovascular effects.
Conclusions:
- A thorough understanding of thyroid hormone's cardiovascular impact is essential for timely diagnosis and effective treatment of related conditions.
- Reversing cardiac dysfunction is possible by addressing thyroid hormone imbalances.
- Thyroid hormone therapy can favorably impact cardiac function in patients with thyroid disorders.
Abstract:
There is an intimate and functional relationship between the cardiovascular system and the thyroid gland; from sharing the same embryologic origin to modulating each of the components of the heart for a normal function. Due to this relationship, patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases often undergo a thyroid function test to rule out hypo- or hyperthyroidism. The signs and symptoms of hyper- and hypothyroidism are clinically relevant and profound. The cardiac function changes can be explained through the cellular mechanism of the thyroid hormone action on the heart. Minor alteration of thyroid hormone can change vascular resistance, cardiac contractility, blood pressure, and heart rhythm, because of the presence of the thyroid hormone receptors on these tissues. A better understanding of the impact of thyroid hormones on the cardiovascular system is paramount for physicians to make a quick decision and initiate a treatment plan because it has been shown to reverse some of the cardiac changes such as systolic and diastolic dysfunction. With this literature review, we aim to describe the holistic effect of thyroid hormones on the cardiovascular system, from its effect on a cellular level to changes in cardiac functions in subclinical and overt hypo/hyperthyroidism. Additionally, we will describe the effects of the drug treatment regimen of thyroid on the cardiac function.
More Related Videos
08:35Oxygenation-sensitive Cardiac MRI with Vasoactive Breathing Maneuvers for the Non-invasive Assessment of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Published on: August 17, 2022
04:14Author Spotlight: In Vivo Assessment of Thyroid Hormone Disruption Using the THAI Mouse Model
Published on: October 6, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:18Functions of Thyroid Hormones
TH is indispensable for the normal development and maturation of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems during fetal and childhood growth. It facilitates bone mineral turnover and regulates protein synthesis in developing tissues, contributing significantly to overall growth and...
01:20Synthesis and Regulation of Thyroid Hormones
Upon reaching the thyroid gland, TSH stimulates the follicular cells' active uptake of iodide ions from the blood. The ions diffuse to the apical surface of the cells and are oxidized to iodine. The...
01:29Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
01:27Regulation of the Cardiovascular System
The regulation of the cardiovascular system involves the autonomic nervous system (ANS), baroreceptors, and chemoreceptors, ensuring that heart rate and blood pressure are appropriately modulated in response to varying physiological demands.
The ANS comprises two main divisions: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system enhances...
01:23The Thyroid Gland
The follicles have a central cavity lined by simple cuboidal to squamous epithelial cells called follicular cells. These cells produce the glycoprotein...
01:18Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications