Abstract
BackgroundThyroid disorders, both overt and subclinical, are highly prevalent conditions in the general population. Although a clear relationship between overt thyroid dysfunctions and cardiovascular complications has long been established, data regarding subclinical thyroid dysfunction are by far more controversial.PurposeThe present review will be aimed at providing a summary of most recent evidence coming from meta-analyses regarding the complex relationship between thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.ConclusionsThe review will summarize, in the first part, the physiopathological link between thyroid hormone imbalances and the cardiovascular system. In the second part the review will outline the evidence coming from meta-analyses regarding the cardiovascular risk related with both overt and subclinical thyroid dysfunctions. Particular attention will be put towards studies showing data stratified for patient’s age, TSH levels and pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Finally, an overview regarding the effects of specific therapy for subclinical thyroid diseases in terms of amelioration of cardiovascular outcomes will be included.
Highlights
Thyroid autoimmune diseases are highly prevalent clinical conditions, with an estimated prevalence of 9–25% in the adult female population [1, 2]
The purpose of this article is to overview and systematically summarize the findings provided by the currently published meta-analyses addressing the role of thyroid dysfunctions on cardiac function and CV risk
In line with the above stated concepts, a recent meta-analysis, including 55 studies and a total of 1,898,314 subjects, concluded that the presence of overt hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of myocardial ischemia (13%), myocardial infarction (15%), arrhythmias (96%) and overall mortality (25%) when compared to euthyroidism [11]
Summary
Thyroid autoimmune diseases are highly prevalent clinical conditions, with an estimated prevalence of 9–25% in the adult female population [1, 2]. Lower rates were reported in the male population, consistently with the higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases described in females [1, 2]. The purpose of this article is to overview and systematically summarize the findings provided by the currently published meta-analyses addressing the role of thyroid dysfunctions on cardiac function and CV risk. Thyroid disorders, both overt and subclinical, are highly prevalent conditions in the general population. An overview regarding the effects of specific therapy for subclinical thyroid diseases in terms of amelioration of cardiovascular outcomes will be included
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