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Long-term ECG recordings in thyroxine-substituted hypothyroid subjects
B Hylander1, G Kennebäck, U Rosenqvist
1Department of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Acta Medica Scandinavica
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Hypothyroidism can cause heart rhythm issues. This study found no bradyarrhythmias in treated hypothyroid patients, suggesting low thyroid hormone levels, not structural changes, cause these arrhythmias.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Bradyarrhythmias are observed in some patients with hypothyroidism.
- Arrhythmias in hypothyroidism may stem from cardiac structural changes or hormonal imbalances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of bradyarrhythmias in hypothyroid patients undergoing long-term thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
- To differentiate the causes of arrhythmias in hypothyroidism.
Main Methods:
- Study included 19 hypothyroid patients monitored 9-53 months post-thyroxine substitution.
- Utilized 48-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring for arrhythmia detection.
Main Results:
- Ventricular ectopic beats were present in 10 out of 19 patients.
- No instances of bradyarrhythmias were detected during the monitoring period.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that arrhythmias in hypothyroid patients are primarily linked to low thyroid hormone levels.
- Long-term substitution therapy may resolve or prevent bradyarrhythmias associated with hypothyroidism.