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Evaluation of the relationship of subclinical hypothyroidism with metabolic syndrome and its components in adolescents: a population-based study

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Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the association of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in adolescents.

Methods

The study population included 1006 adolescents (aged 10–18 years) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys; SCH subjects were compared with euthyroid subjects. MetS was defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The risks of MetS and its components in SCH and euthyroid subjects were calculated using binary logistic regression analyses.

Results

Study subjects had a mean age of 14.2 ± 2.5 years, and 53% were male. The prevalence of MetS was 2.5% in the overall study population (3.2% of males and 1.7% of females). Among the 1006 subjects, 143 (14.2%) had SCH. The risk of MetS was not higher in SCH subjects than in euthyroid subjects (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54–4.11); however, among the components of MetS, the risk of abdominal obesity was higher in SCH subjects than in euthyroid subjects (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.04–4.15) after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Although not statistically significant, a trend toward increased risk of elevated blood pressure (BP) was observed in SCH subjects relative to euthyroid subjects after further adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 0.89–4.52). Furthermore, non-obese SCH subjects had higher systolic BP compared with non-obese euthyroid subjects after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (P = 0.014).

Conclusions

SCH was not associated with the presence of MetS. However, SCH may be associated with abdominal obesity and possibly elevated BP in adolescents.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the KCDC database. Anybody who signs up for membership can access the raw data from the webpage.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Min-Kyung Lee, Yoo Mee Kim

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

    Min-Kyung Lee, Seo-Young Sohn & Jae-Hyuk Lee

  2. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, International St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea

    Yoo Mee Kim, Young Jun Won & Se Hwa Kim

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  1. Min-Kyung Lee
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Correspondence to Se Hwa Kim.

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Ethics approval

All studies involving human participants were approved by the institutional review committee, and were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All participants signed written informed consent, and the Institutional Review Boards of the Korea National Health Insurance Service, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, and International St. Mary’s Hospital approved the study protocol.

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Lee, MK., Kim, Y.M., Sohn, SY. et al. Evaluation of the relationship of subclinical hypothyroidism with metabolic syndrome and its components in adolescents: a population-based study. Endocrine 65, 608–615 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-019-01942-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-019-01942-9

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