Factors of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Arterial Hypertension at Various Levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

Abstract

The objective was to determine the effect of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels on the incidence and severity of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with arterial hypertension (AH). We have examined 123 patients with AH I–II grades aged 45–70 years. Methods of examination: blood lipids, TSH, free thyroxine, echocardiography, office blood pressure (BP) measurement, duplex scanning of neck vessels, testing by hospital anxiety and depression scales. Among the examined patients, 12.4 % had subclinical hypothyroidism not previously diagnosed that was associated with greater incidence of dyslipidemia, carbohydrate metabolism disorders, left ventricular hypertrophy and carotid atherosclerotic lesions, higher values of pulse BP, as well as with a decrease in glomerular filtration rate and with anxiety-depressive disorders. Analysis of the group with normal thyroid function found that high normal TSH level (2–4 mU/L) is also associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors and the deterioration of target organs compared with those with low-normal TSH levels. Thus, the functional state of the thyroid gland has an impact on the incidence and severity of risk factors and target organ damage in AH that requires its careful monitoring in patients with cardiological diseases.

Keywords

• hypertension
• age
• cardiovascular risk factors
• functional status of the thyroid gland.