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Published on: February 9, 2024

Cardiac function in thyroid disease: clinical features and management considerations

W H Dillmann1

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 92103.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|July 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Thyroid disease causes heart problems through direct nuclear or rapid extranuclear thyroid hormone effects. Understanding these mechanisms is key to managing cardiac issues in thyroid disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Thyroid disease frequently presents with cardiac abnormalities.
  • The precise mechanisms and location of thyroid hormone's cardiac effects are not fully understood.
  • Thyroid hormone influences cardiovascular function through various pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical manifestations of thyroid disease on the heart.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of thyroid hormone's cardiac actions.
  • To differentiate between nuclear and extranuclear effects of thyroid hormone.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on thyroid hormone and cardiac function.
  • Analysis of studies investigating nuclear and extranuclear signaling pathways.
  • Exploration of the interaction between thyroid and adrenergic systems.

Main Results:

  • Thyroid hormone exerts cardiac effects via both delayed nuclear actions (requiring protein synthesis) and rapid extranuclear actions.
  • Nuclear effects involve binding to specific receptors, stimulating gene transcription.
  • Extranuclear effects rapidly influence cellular transport and mitochondrial function.

Conclusions:

  • Both nuclear and extranuclear thyroid hormone actions contribute to cardiac abnormalities in thyroid disease.
  • The interplay with the adrenergic system may also play a role.
  • Further research is needed to fully delineate these complex mechanisms.

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