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Thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease

Heba Alwan1,2, Ola Hysaj1,3, Baris Gencer1,4

  • 1Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.

European Heart Journal
|April 17, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Thyroid dysfunction impacts cardiovascular health, causing issues like arrhythmias and high blood pressure. This review summarizes thyroid disease

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

  • Thyroid hormones are crucial for cardiovascular system regulation.
  • Thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism) is common and linked to cardiovascular issues like dyslipidemia, hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, and arrhythmias.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize current knowledge on the thyroid dysfunction-cardiovascular health relationship.
  • To focus on the molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms linking thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.
  • To discuss levothyroxine's impact on cardiovascular outcomes in subclinical hypothyroidism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular health.
  • Discussion of evidence from omics and Mendelian randomization studies.
  • Overview of thyroid disease epidemiology and levothyroxine treatment effects.

Main Results:

  • Thyroid dysfunction is associated with diverse cardiovascular manifestations.
  • The TRUST trial showed a trend towards beneficial cardiovascular effects of levothyroxine in subclinical hypothyroidism, though underpowered.
  • Molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms are key to understanding the link.

Conclusions:

  • Thyroid dysfunction significantly impacts cardiovascular health through various mechanisms.
  • Further research is needed to clarify levothyroxine's role in subclinical hypothyroidism's cardiovascular outcomes.

Keywords:
Cardiovascular diseaseCardiovascular riskLevothyroxineSubclinical thyroid dysfunctionThyroid dysfunction

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