Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Community-based study of the association of subclinical thyroid dysfunction with blood pressure

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Endocrine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and blood pressure has been controversial and received unsufficient attention. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study conducted among 6,992 inhabitants from six districts of Jiangsu Province to investigate the association of subclinical thyroid dysfunction with blood pressure in China. The data from 6,583 subjects (4,115 women and 2,468 men) were included and divided into three groups: euthyroidism (n = 5669, 86.11%), subclinical hyperthyroidism (n = 108, 1.65%), and subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 806, 12.24%). In the groups with subclinical hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure were not significantly different from those in the groups with euthyroidism after being adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and smoking status (P > 0.05). More extensively, the SBP and DBP in the group of subclinical hypothyroidism with lower level of TSH (TSH 4.51–10.00 mIU/l, SCH1) were significantly higher than those of participants with euthyroidism (P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic analysis revealed that subclinical hypothyroidism with lower TSH (TSH 4.51–10.00 mIU/l) was an independent risk factor for increased SBP (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.03–1.59, P = 0.028). Similar results could not be found between groups of euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroid with higher level of TSH (TSH > 10 mIU/l, SCH2). Further subdivision of the euthyroid group on the basis of a TSH cut-off of 2.5 mIU/l, revealed still no significant difference in blood pressure after adjustment regardless of whether the TSH levels were in the lower reference (TSH 0.40–2.50 mIU/l, n = 4093) or in the upper reference ranges (TSH 2.51–4.50 mIU/l, n = 1576) (P > 0.05). We concluded that subclinical thyroid dysfunction was not associated with blood pressure. Neither subclinical hyperthyroidism nor subclinical hypothyroidism independently predicted increased blood pressure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G.J. Kahaly, W.H. Dillmann, Thyroid hormone action in the heart. Endocr. Rev. 26, 704–728 (2005)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. S. Danzi, I. Klein, Thyroid hormone and blood pressure regulation. Curr. Hypertens. Rep. 5, 513–520 (2003)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. G.W. Ching, J.A. Franklyn, T.J. Stallard, J. Daykin, M.C. Sheppard, M.D. Gammage, Cardiac hypertrophy as a result of long-term thyroxin therapy and thyrotoxicosis. Heart 75, 363–368 (1996)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. I. Saito, K. Ito, T. Saruta, Hypothyroidism as a cause of hypertension. Hypertension 5, 112–115 (1983)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. D.H. Streeten, G.H. Anderson Jr, T. Howland, R. Chiang, H. Smulyan, Effects of thyroid function on blood pressure. Recognition of hypothyroid hypertension. Hypertension 11, 78–83 (1988)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Völzke, D. Alte, M. Dörr, H. Wallaschofski, U. John, S.B. Felix, R. Rettig, The association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and blood pressure in a population-based study. J. Hypertens. 24, 1947–1953 (2006)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Dörr, B. Wolff, D.M. Robinson, U. John, J. Lüdemann, W. Meng, S.B. Felix, H. Völzke, The association of thyroid function with cardiac mass and left ventricular hypertrophy. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 90, 673–677 (2005)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. J.P. Walsh, A.P. Bremner, M.K. Bulsara, P. O’Leary, P.J. Leedman, P. Feddema, V. Michelangeli, Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and blood pressure: a community-based study. Clin. Endocrinol. 65, 486–491 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. J.P. Walsh, A.P. Bremner, M.K. Bulsara, P. O’Leary, P.J. Leedman, P. Feddema, V. Michelangeli, Subclinical thyroid dysfunction as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Arch. Intern. Med. 165, 2467–2472 (2005)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. B. Biondi, E.A. Palmieri, S. Fazio, C. Cosco, M. Nocera, L. Sacca, S. Filetti, G. Lombardi, F. Perticone, Endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism affects quality of life and cardiac morphology and function in young and middle-aged patients. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 85, 4701–4705 (2000)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. M. Petretta, D. Bonaduce, L. Spinelli, M.S. Vicario, V. Nuzzo, F. Marciano, P. Camuso, V. De Sanctis, G. Lupoli, Cardiovascular haemodynamics and cardiac autonomic control in patients with subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism. Eur. J. Endocrinol. 145, 691–696 (2001)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. A.R. Cappola, L.P. Fried, A.M. Arnold, M.D. Danese, L.G. Kuller, G.L. Burke, R.P. Tracy, P.W. Ladenson, Thyroid status, cardiovascular risk, and mortality in older adults. JAMA 295, 1033–1041 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. R.D. Lindeman, D.S. Schade, A. LaRue, L.J. Romero, H.C. Liang, R.N. Baumgartner, K.M. Koehler, P.J. Gary, Subclinical hypothyroidism in a biethnic, urban community. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 47, 703–709 (1999)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. J. Kvetny, P.E. Heldgaard, E.M. Bladbjerg, J. Gram, Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with a low-grade inflammation, increased triglyceride levels and predicts cardiovascular disease in males below 50 years. Clin. Endocrinol. 61, 232–238 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. A.E. Hak, H.A. Pols, T.J. Visser, H.A. Drexhage, A. Hofman, J.C. Witteman, Subclinical hypothyroidism is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction in elderly women: the rotterdam study. Ann. Intern. Med. 132, 270–278 (2000)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. R. Luboshitzky, A. Aviv, P. Herer, L. Lavie, Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women with subclinical hypothyroidism. Thyroid 12, 421–425 (2002)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. T. Nagasaki, M. Inaba, Y. Kumeda, Y. Hiura, K. Shirakawa, S. Yamada, Y. Henmi, E. Ishimura, Y. Nishizawa, Increased pulse wave velocity in subclinical hypothyroidism. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 91, 154–158 (2006)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. O. Gumieniak, T.S. Perlstein, P.N. Hopkins, N.G. Brown, L.J. Murphey, X. Jeunemaitre, N.K. Hollenberg, G.H. Williams, Thyroid function and blood pressure homeostasis in euthyroid subjects. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 89, 3455–3461 (2004)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Medical Key Subject grants (SK200214, BS2004039) from Jiangsu Province, China. Chao Liu was supported by grants (RC2002047, LJ200619) from Jiangsu Province, China. We are grateful to all the participants and medical staff in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Rd, 210029, Nanjing, China

    Yu Duan, Wen Peng, Xiaodong Wang, Wei Tang, Xiaoyun Liu, Shuhang Xu, Xiaodong Mao, Shangyong Feng, Yu Feng, Youwen Qin, Kuanfeng Xu, Cuiping Liu & Chao Liu

Authors
  1. Yu Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wen Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaodong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wei Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiaoyun Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Shuhang Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xiaodong Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Shangyong Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Yu Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Youwen Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Kuanfeng Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Cuiping Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Chao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chao Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duan, Y., Peng, W., Wang, X. et al. Community-based study of the association of subclinical thyroid dysfunction with blood pressure. Endocr 35, 136–142 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-008-9138-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-008-9138-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation