Subclinical hypothyroidism: association with cardiovascular risk factors and components of metabolic syndrome

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. The study included 60 patients with SH and a control group of 60 healthy volunteers, gender and age matched, with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (FT4) concentration. The following measurements were made in all participants: TSH, FT4, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), TC/HDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio, basal insulin level and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index. MetS was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The results showed that the following indices were statistically significantly higher in the SH group: BMI (p < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), TC (p < 0.05), TG (p < 0.05) and basal insulin level (p < 0.05). Although MetS parameters were present in a higher per cent in the SH group, there was a significantly higher number of patients with hypertension and decreased HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05). More frequently, MetS was diagnosed in SH patients (46.67%) than in the control group (33.33%), although the difference was not statistically significant. These results indicated that the traditional cardiovascular risk factors were more frequently present in SH patients as compared to euthyroid participants. Our results did not confirm significantly higher presence of MetS in SH patients in comparison with euthyroid respondents.

The impact of thyroid function on the occurrence of metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents

“…Although the mechanism of such an increase in TSH level in obese patients remains unclear, it is usually not caused by primary thyroid dysfunction (as in subclinical/overt hypothyroidism). In adults the TSH value increases proportionally to the degree of obesity [14][15][16]. Such a correlation is uncertain in children because the literature data are conflicting.…”

Relationship of TSH with BMI in subclinical hypothyroid patients

“…Some studies show decreased thyroid functions associated with weight gain or obesity and other analysis shows no relation with this regard. The link between body weight and TSH level is especially attractive [36].…”

Maternal Triclosan consumption alters the appetite regulatory network on Wistar rat offspring and predispose to metabolic syndrome in the adulthood

“…However, the observed overexpression of Npy and Agrp might be correlated with hypothyroidism, since both neuropeptides have a central inhibitory role in the HPT axis [28,29]. Subclinical hypothyroidism is not necessarily associated with development of metabolic syndrome [30,31] but it might be part of the metabolic dysfunctions programmed by TCS. Also, TCS could be an estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemical with a mode of action similar to BPA: disturbing processes controlled through steroid receptors, particularly estrogen receptor alpha [32].…”