Integrating Thyroid Function with Body Composition: The BRITSH Ratio and Cardiovascular Risk - A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Cardiology
• Metabolic Syndrome

Background:

• Hypothyroidism is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, impacting lipid profiles, insulin resistance, and visceral fat.
• Existing risk assessment tools may not fully capture cardiovascular risk in hypothyroid patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive value of the Body Roundness Index (BRI) for coronary artery disease (CAD).
• To assess the diagnostic performance of a novel BRI/TSH ratio (BRITSH) in identifying CAD in hypothyroid patients.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 152 hypothyroid patients (55 with CAD, 97 controls).
• Data included BRI, TSH levels, lipid profiles, and other clinical parameters.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and logistic regression were employed.

Main Results:

• Higher BRI values and lower BRITSH ratios were observed in the CAD group.
• BRI demonstrated strong predictive value (AUC=0.86), while BRITSH showed moderate capacity (AUC=0.67).
• BRITSH, age, diabetes, hs-CRP, and non-HDL cholesterol were independent CAD predictors.

Conclusions:

• The BRITSH ratio is a novel, independent predictor of CAD in hypothyroid patients.
• BRI also exhibits good potential for identifying CAD risk.
• These simple metrics may enhance cardiovascular risk assessment in routine clinical practice for hypothyroidism management.