Subclinical Hypothyroidism is Associated with Atherogenic Lipid Profile in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

IntroductionSubclinical hypothyroidism (SH) is defined as an elevated serum level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with the normal levels of free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) (1). Most patients are symptomless and have serum TSH levels <10 mU/L. In the studies conducted on the general population, the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism ranges from 4% to 15% (2). The preva-37 S Su ub bc cl li in ni ic ca al l H Hy yp po ot th hy yr ro oi id di is sm m i is s A As ss so oc ci ia at te ed d w wi it th h A At th he er ro og ge en ni ic c L Li ip pi id d P Pr ro ofi fil le e i in n P Po os st tm me en no op pa au us sa al l W Wo om me en n Purpose: To determine the prevalence and association of atherogenic lipid profile in postmenopausal women with subclinical hypothyroidism. Materials (Subjects) and Methods: This as a prospective clinical study included 140 postmenopausal women. In all subjects, basic sociodemographic and anthropometric data, hormonal status of the thyroid gland, and lipid profile were determined. The subjects were followed for a period of 30 months.Results: The subclinical hypothyroidism in postmenopausal women was significantly associated with higher levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, and lower HDL-C (p=0.009, p=0.01, p=0.023, p=0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the analysis of repeated measures showed that subclinical hypothyroidism, irrespective of age and duration of postmenopause, was associated with higher levels of serum cholesterol (