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Gender, age affect lipids in hypothyroidism
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Data linking mild thyroid failure and lipid profiles have led to conflicting results, but recent data from a cross-sectional study demonstrate that hypothyroidism worsens the effect of aging on lipids, especially cholesterol.
“Overall, our data delineate a specific interrelationship between thyroid function, gender, and age and may, at least partially, explain the conflicting results of the literature regarding the impact of slightly elevated [thyroid-stimulating hormone] value on circulating lipid parameters,” researchers from Pisa, Italy wrote.
Based at the University of Pisa, researchers studied 2,308 patients attending the thyroid outpatient clinic of the department of internal medicine from January to December 2010.
Of those, 1,260 (54.6%) experienced thyroid autoimmune disorders including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (96%); Graves’ disease (4%); nodular goiter (20.3%); and postsurgical hypothyroidism (9.6%). However, 358 patients were not diagnosed with thyroid disease.
The patients were divided into groups according to age (first: 10-29 years; second: 30-49 years; third: 50-64 years; fourth: >65 years) and TSH values (first: 0.36mIU/L; second: 0.36mIU/L-3.6mIU/L; third: 3.6mIU/L-10mIU/L; and fourth: >10mIU/L).
Of those included in the study, 628 patients received L-thyroxine and had a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Ultimately, 648 patients were diagnosed with hypothyroidism and 290 with hyperthyroidism.
There was no gender differences in the frequency of TSH values within the ranges studied in this population, they wrote.
Additional data indicate that compared with euthyroid women, total cholesterol (P<.0003) and LDL values (P<.003) and LDL/HDL ratio (P<.03) were elevated in unselected women with TSH values in the fourth TSH group and in women with TSH values in the third group, aged older than 50 years. In fact, only unselected men in the fourth TSH group had elevated triglyceride levels (P<.0001), not cholesterol levels.
However, researchers found that men in the third and fourth TSH group aged older than 65 years had statistically significant total cholesterol (P=.03), LDL (P=.02), and LDL/HDL values (P=.01) compared with euthyroid men.
The researchers concluded that age had the highest standardized coefficient, followed by TSH. They reported the results did not change after adjustments.
Disclosure:The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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