Associations between thyroid function, thyroid diseases, and primary aldosteronism.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Hypertension Research
• Thyroidology

Background:

• Previous research on primary aldosteronism (PA) and thyroid diseases yielded conflicting results.
• Understanding the relationship between thyroid function, thyroid diseases, and PA is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between thyroid function, thyroid diseases, and PA, including its subtypes.
• To compare thyroid health in patients with PA versus essential hypertension (EH).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1023 PA patients and 6138 EH patients.
• PA patients were classified into aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) via adrenal vein sampling (AVS).
• Multivariate logistic regression analyzed relationships between thyroid parameters, thyroid nodules, and PA subtypes.

Main Results:

• PA patients exhibited lower levels of free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), total thyroxine (TT4), and total triiodothyronine (TT3) compared to EH patients.
• PA patients and its subtypes showed a higher prevalence of thyroid nodules (PA: 56.10%) than EH patients (48.90%).
• PA (adjusted OR: 1.290) and IHA (adjusted OR: 1.316) were significantly associated with thyroid nodules; higher plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) correlated with increased nodule prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Primary aldosteronism patients demonstrate diminished thyroid function and an elevated prevalence of thyroid nodules.
• Routine screening for thyroid function and nodules is advisable for individuals diagnosed with PA.