Abstract
This study investigated whether high-normal thyrotropin (TSH) levels are associated with metabolic syndrome in euthyroid Chinese people≥40 years old. Clinical and metabolic factors were assessed in 2,356 subjects (40–77 years old) with TSH levels in the normal range (0.35–5.00 mU/L). Using 2.50 mU/L as the cut-off point of TSH level within the normal range, we divided subjects into the high-TSH (2.50–5.00 mU/L; n = 1,064) and low-TSH (0.35–2.50 mU/L; n = 1,292) group. The results showed that the mean levels of body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were higher in the high-TSH group and TSH levels were significantly positively correlated with BMI, LDL-C, TC, and FPG. The prevalence of central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high FPG (>5.60 mmol/L) was significantly higher in females and subjects with high-TSH levels. Metabolic syndrome was also more prevalent in the high-TSH group. People over the age of 40 years with high-normal TSH levels had a 1.2-fold increased risk of metabolic syndrome, compared with those with low-normal TSH levels, after adjusting for age and gender. In conclusion, high normal TSH is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in people≥40 years old.
Highlights
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a constellation of metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia
Among all of the subjects, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were significantly positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG)
We observed that TSH levels at the upper range of reference value were correlated with various MS parameters in 2,356 euthyroid persons aged≥40 years
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a constellation of metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Mounting evidence suggests that MS is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)[2], type 2 diabetes[3] and all-cause mortality[4]. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis orchestrates a variety of metabolic processes, including thermogenesis and energy expenditure, growth promotion and lipid metabolism, which affect energy balance[5,6]. Thyroid dysfunction presents a risk of CVD due to disruptions in blood pressure and lipid metabolism[7,8]; this is valid for both overt and subclinical hypothyroidism[9,10]. Whether high-normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are associated with metabolic derangement remains
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