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Higher cortisol level and reduced circulating triiodothyronine in patients with cardiovascular diseases: A

Muhammad Javid1, Safir Ullah Khan1, Maleeha Akram1

  • 1Department of Zoology, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

JRSM Cardiovascular Disease
|May 19, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Elevated cortisol and reduced triiodothyronine (T3) levels are linked in cardiovascular patients, especially those with hypertension. This suggests stress may impact thyroid function in heart disease, warranting further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiology
  • Stress Physiology

Background:

  • Thyroid hormones, specifically triiodothyronine (T3), are crucial in cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathogenesis.
  • Stress, often associated with elevated cortisol, may influence the interplay between thyroid function and CVD.
  • Hypertension is a common comorbidity in cardiovascular patients, potentially interacting with stress and thyroid hormones.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between stress markers (cortisol) and thyroid function (T3) in patients with established cardiovascular diseases.
  • To specifically examine these relationships in cardiovascular patients with hypertension.
  • To compare cortisol and T3 levels between cardiovascular patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study involving 87 cardiovascular patients and 60 healthy controls.
  • Measurement of serum cortisol and triiodothyronine (T3) levels using radioimmunoassay.
  • Collection of anthropometric data, blood pressure measurements, and patient history including type of cardiovascular disease.

Main Results:

  • Cardiovascular patients exhibited significantly higher cortisol levels and lower T3 levels compared to controls.
  • Elevated blood pressure was prevalent in cardiovascular patients.
  • A notable percentage of cardiovascular patients displayed elevated cortisol (39%) and reduced T3 (38%), with no observed sex-based differences in cortisol.

Conclusions:

  • Significant associations were found between elevated cortisol and reduced T3 levels in cardiovascular patients, particularly those with hypertension.
  • The findings suggest a potential link between stress, thyroid dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease, although causality requires further research.
  • Longitudinal studies are recommended to elucidate the causal mechanisms underlying the observed associations.
Abstract

Keywords:
Stressanterior wall myocardial infarctioncortisoltriiodothyronine

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