Thyroid Function Changes in the Elderly and Their Relationship to Cardiovascular Health: A Mini-Review

Gerontology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Barbesino
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Large Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Potential Harm ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sixth Decade

Background: Thyroid hormones have significant effects on the cardiovascular systems. In general, hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of dysrhythmias, while hypothyroidism may cause atherosclerosis. Recent large studies have sought to identify aging-associated changes in thyroid function and their relevance to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Conflicting results have often been published, likely due to the heterogeneity of the studied populations. Objective: This review seeks to briefly summarize the most recent large population studies analyzing thyroid changes with aging and interpreting their effects on cardiovascular health in the elderly. Methods: Selective review of recent literature. Results: The emerging pattern suggests a slight decrease in thyroid function in the elderly leading to slightly higher thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. However, the incidence of mild hyperthyroidism also increases, especially in populations with historical or current iodine deficiency. Large observational studies suggest that the potential harm from mild hypothyroidism seen in younger population tends to diminish in older subjects, while the harm from mild hyperthyroidism becomes more significant. A markedly increased risk of atrial fibrillation is a well-established consequence of subclinical hyperthyroidism in patients in the sixth decade of life and beyond. Conclusions: The absence of large prospective interventional data does not allow the formulation of strict clinical recommendations, but a higher TSH threshold for treating both subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism in the elderly seems reasonable.

scholarly journals Persistent Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Cardiovascular Risk in the Elderly: The Cardiovascular Health Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen A. Hyland ◽  
Alice M. Arnold ◽  
Jennifer S. Lee ◽  
Anne R. Cappola
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Cardiovascular Health Study ◽  
Thyroid Function Tests ◽  
Function Tests ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Context: Use of a single set of thyroid function tests to define subclinical hypothyroidism may lead to misclassification over time and could influence findings from longitudinal studies. Objective: We assessed the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), and cardiovascular (CV) death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism. Design, Setting, and Participants: The study included 679 subclinically hypothyroid and 4184 euthyroid U.S. individuals at least 65 yr old enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study and not taking thyroid preparations. Main Outcome Measure: We measured the 10-yr risk of incident CHD, HF, and CV death from persistent subclinical hypothyroidism, overall and stratified by degree of TSH elevation (4.5–6.9, 7.0–9.9, and 10.0–19.9 mU/liter). Results: There was no association between persistent subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD [hazard ratio (HR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93–1.36], HF (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.97–1.27), or CV death (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.87–1.31) in adjusted analyses in which subclinical hypothyroidism was modeled as a time-varying exposure using up to four serial thyroid function tests. When subclinical hypothyroidism was stratified by degree of TSH elevation, no significant associations were found in any stratum. Findings were similar in fixed exposure analyses in which only participants with testing 2 yr apart were considered, with no association between persistent or transient subclinical hypothyroidism and incident CHD, HF, or CV death. Conclusions: Our data do not support increased risk of CHD, HF, or CV death in older adults with persistent subclinical hypothyroidism.

Associations of Thyroid Hormones and Resting Heart Rate in Patients Referred to Coronary Angiography

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 850-855
Author(s):  
Eva Steinberger ◽  
Stefan Pilz ◽  
Christian Trummer ◽  
Verena Theiler-Schwetz ◽  
Markus Reichhartinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Coronary Angiography ◽  
Thyroid Hormones ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Resting Heart Rate ◽  
Free Triiodothyronine ◽  
Free Thyroid Hormones ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractResting heart rate (RHR) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Thyroid hormones exert several effects on the cardiovascular system, but the relation between thyroid function and RHR remains to be further established. We evaluated whether measures of thyroid hormone status are associated with RHR in patients referred to coronary angiography. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxin (FT4), and RHR were determined in 2795 participants of the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) Study. Median (25th to 75th percentile) serum concentrations were 1.25 (0.76–1.92) mU/l for TSH, 4.8 (4.2–5.3) pmol/l for FT3 and 17.1 (15.4-19.0) pmol/l for FT4, and mean (±standard deviation) RHR was 68.8 (±11.7) beats/min. Comparing the highest versus the lowest quartile, RHR (beats/min) was significantly higher in the fourth FT4 quartile [3.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.23–4.73; p <0.001] and in the fourth FT3 quartile (2.30, 95% CI: 1.06–3.55; p <0.001), but there was no significant difference for TSH quartiles. In multiple linear regression analyses adjusting for various potential confounders, FT3 and FT4 were significant predictors of RHR (p <0.001 for both). In subgroups restricted to TSH, FT3, and FT4 values within the reference range, both FT3 and FT4 remained significant predictors of RHR (p <0.001 for all). In conclusion, in patients referred to coronary angiography, FT3 and FT4 but not TSH were positively associated with RHR. The relationship between free thyroid hormones and RHR warrants further investigations regarding its diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

scholarly journals The effect of iodine in patients using povidone-iodine mouth wash on thyroid function

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gowri Shankar Murugesan ◽  
Manju Priya Venkat
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Gland ◽  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Povidone Iodine ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Mouth Wash ◽  
Serum Tsh ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Thyroid gland is a key part of endocrine system and it performs its functions via two most important thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid gland is mainly regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Povidone-iodine (polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine, PVP-I) mouthwash is commonly used to treat infections of the oral cavity and oropharynx and iodine released from PVP-I can interfere with thyroid function. In this study the effect of brief treatment with povidone-iodine mouth wash on thyroid function was assessed. The aim of the present study was to assess whether iodine is absorbed through oral transmucosal route and interfere with TSH in serum.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> Fifty one patients with acute and chronic pharyngitis and tonsillitis were recruited and out of which forty-seven patients were treated with 20 ml of PVP-I mouthwash twice daily for 3 weeks and blood was collected from the respective patients before and after treatment with PVP-I. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone concentration was measured from the collected blood samples of the patients.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> In the present study there was a small increase in serum TSH concentration during the therapy with PVP-I but the concentration determined was within the normal range.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Based on the results of this study we conclude that the use of PVP-I for a brief period transiently increase TSH value and prolonged use should be avoided in people with an increased risk of thyroid dysfunction and other autoimmune disorders.</p>

Cardiovascular Disease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Caroline ◽  
Ryan Bradley ◽  
Mimi Guarneri
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

The older population is challenging to treat for numerous reasons, including comorbid conditions and increased susceptibility to adverse drug reactions, limiting medical therapy. They are at increased risk for loneliness and depression, which strongly impacts their cardiovascular outcomes, and they also have different values, usually prioritizing quality of life over mortality objectives. Finally, the elderly are underrepresented in cardiovascular clinical trials, thus limiting the applicability of guideline recommendations. This chapter emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive assessment of individual circumstances when assessing cardiovascular health in the elderly population. The chapter focuses on the role of nutrition, resiliency, and exercise for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Nutrient deficiencies commonly seen with cardiovascular drugs are also discussed, as well as specific integrative strategies for optimizing dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure in this population.

scholarly journals Detection of Osteoporosis from Percussion Responses Using an Electronic Stethoscope and Machine Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Jamie Scanlan ◽  
Francis Li ◽  
Olga Umnova ◽  
Gyorgy Rakoczy ◽  
Nóra Lövey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
False Positive Rate ◽  
Large Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Signal Acquisition ◽  
Impulse Responses ◽  
Electronic Stethoscope ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Bone Condition

Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic bone condition that affects a large proportion of the elderly population around the world, resulting in increased bone fragility and increased risk of fracture. Previous studies had shown that the vibroacoustic response of bone can indicate the quality of the bone condition. Therefore, the aim of the authors’ project is to develop a new method to exploit this phenomenon to improve detection of osteoporosis in individuals. In this paper a method is described that uses a reflex hammer to exert testing stimuli on a patient’s tibia and an electronic stethoscope to acquire the impulse responses. The signals are processed as mel frequency cepstrum coefficients and passed through an artificial neural network to determine the likelihood of osteoporosis from the tibia’s impulse responses. Following some discussions of the mechanism and procedure, this paper details the signal acquisition using the stethoscope and the subsequent signal processing and the statistical machine learning algorithm. Pilot testing with 12 patients achieved over 80% sensitivity with a false positive rate below 30% and accuracies in the region of 70%. An extended dataset of 110 patients achieved an error rate of 30% with some room for improvement in the algorithm. By using common clinical apparatus and strategic machine learning, this method might be suitable as a large population screening test for the early diagnosis of osteoporosis, thus avoiding secondary complications.

scholarly journals Spectrum of thyroid dysfunction and dementia: a dose–response meta-analysis of 344,248 individuals from cohort studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-421
Author(s):  
Xingyao Tang ◽  
Zhi-Hui Song ◽  
Dawei Wang ◽  
Jinkui Yang ◽  
Marly Augusto Cardoso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Thyroid Dysfunction ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Functional Relation ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Hormone Concentration ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

Thyroid hormone, as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, promotes neurocognitive function and regulates metabolic processes. Various studies have defined different thyroid-stimulating hormone cutoffs, but the safest thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration was absent. A dose–response meta-analysis describing the overall functional relation and identifying exposure intervals associated with a higher or lower disease risk is thus desirable. Therefore, our current analysis was conducted to understand the influence of thyroid dysfunction on dementia risk. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science before May 1, 2020 for human studies published in English. Studies were considered for inclusion if they used a cohort study design to measure the risk of dementia in different thyroid function status groups, diagnosed thyroid functional status and all-cause dementia, included participants aged >18 years, and provided quantitative measures of data. The analysis contained 17 articles with 344,248 individuals with a 7.8-year mean follow-up. Ten studies with 329,287 participants indicated that only subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with an increased risk of dementia. In contrast, subclinical hypothyroidism, clinical hyperthyroidism, and clinical hypothyroidism did not affect dementia. In the dose–response meta-analysis with 46,417 samples from 11 studies, the association of thyroid-stimulating hormone with the risk of dementia exhibited a U-shaped curve. Our study indicated that subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with the risk of dementia and the thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration at around 1.55–1.60 mU/L as the optimum range for the risk of dementia.

Thyroid Dysfunction States and Incident Cardiovascular Events: The Tehran Thyroid Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (01) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Tohidi ◽  
Arash Derakhshan ◽  
Samaneh Akbarpour ◽  
Atieh Amouzegar ◽  
Ladan Mehran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽  
Thyroid Dysfunction ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Overt Hypothyroidism ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Middle Eastern Population

AbstractThe objective of the study was to investigate the relation of different thyroid function states with the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD)/coronary heart disease (CHD) among a Middle-Eastern population with a high incidence of CVD/CHD. A total of 3975 participants entered the study (43.6% men). According to their thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (FT4) levels, the participants were categorized into 5 groups: euthyroid, subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, and overt hyperthyroidism. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the relation of different thyroid function states with incident CVD/CHD, with euthyroid state as reference. The mean age (SD) of the participants was 46.5 (12.0) years. At baseline, no significant difference was observed in the frequency of prevalent CVD cases (n=201) between all groups. No significant interaction was found between prevalent CVD and different thyroid function states with outcomes, hence, we did not exclude participants with prevalent CVD from data analysis. A total of 400 CVD events (358 CHD cases) during a median follow-up of 11.2 years (inter-quartile range: 1.96) occurred. During the follow-up, even in the age and sex adjusted model, no association was observed between different states of thyroid dysfunction and incidence of CVD/CHD. The multivariable hazard ratios (95% CI) of subclinical hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, and hyperthyroidism for CVD events were 1.21 (0.77–1.88), 0.76 (0.33–1.69), 0.81 (0.46–1.41) and 1.48 (0.70–3.16), respectively. Both at baseline and during follow-up, no relation was observed between different states of thyroid function with prevalence and incidence of CVD/CHD.

scholarly journals Challenges in the Management of Atrial Fibrillation With Subclinical Hyperthyroidism

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baris Gencer ◽  
Anne R. Cappola ◽  
Nicolas Rodondi ◽  
Tinh-Hai Collet
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Reference Ranges ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Novel Strategy

Subclinical thyroid disorders have a high prevalence among older individuals and women. Subclinical hypothyroidism is diagnosed by elevated serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with thyroxine levels within the reference range, and subclinical hyperthyroidism is diagnosed by low TSH in conjunction with thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels within reference ranges. Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia and has been associated with an increased risk of mortality, heart failure, stroke, and depression. Mechanistic data from animal and human physiology studies as well as observational data in humans support an association of subclinical hyperthyroidism with atrial fibrillation. Guidelines recommend the measurement of TSH in the evaluation of new-onset atrial fibrillation. All patients with overt hyperthyroidism should be treated, and treatment of subclinical hyperthyroidism should be considered in patients older than 65 years with TSH &lt; 0.4 mlU/L, or in younger patients with TSH &lt; 0.1 mlU/L. Guidelines also recommend screening for AF in patients with known hyperthyroidism. Wearable devices that measure the heart electrical activity continuously may be a novel strategy to detect atrial fibrillation in patients at risk. In this review, we explore the interplay between thyroid hormones and atrial fibrillation, management controversies in subclinical hyperthyroidism, and potential strategies to improve the management of atrial fibrillation in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism.

scholarly journals Association between Sleep Duration and Subclinical Thyroid Dysfunction Based on Nationally Representative Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woojun Kim ◽  
Jeongmin Lee ◽  
Jeonghoon Ha ◽  
Kwanghoon Jo ◽  
Dong-Jun Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽  
Thyroid Dysfunction ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Free T4 ◽  
Representative Data ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Background: Sleep duration is an identified risk factor for adverse health outcomes. As the endocrine system is closely intertwined with sleep duration and quality, the association between endocrine dysfunction and sleep has been evaluated. Thyroid function, particularly that related to thyrotropin (TSH), is also known to be influenced by the sleep/awake status and circadian rhythm. Additionally, a link between sleep duration and autoimmunity, which is a common cause of thyroid dysfunction, has been suggested; however, depending on the sleep deprivation method used in studies, the effects of sleep on thyroid function vary. The relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and sleep duration is poorly documented. Thus, to elucidate the impact of sleep on thyroid function, we investigated the association of subclinical thyroid dysfunction with sleep duration using representative data from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 2013 to 2015. Methods: In all, 4945 participants (2543 male and 2402 female) were included after excluding subjects using the following criteria: <19 years of age, free T4 level outside the normal range, history of thyroid disease, or incomplete data. The population was classified into three groups: short sleeper (<7 h/day), normal sleeper (7–8 h/day), and long sleeper (>8 h/day). The odds ratio (OR) for subclinical hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism according to sleep duration was evaluated. Results: The short, normal, and long sleeper groups consisted of 2097, 2514, and 334 subjects, respectively. On multiple logistic regression analysis, compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers showed a significantly increased risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism (OR 1.37, 95% confidential interval (CI) 1.02–1.84, p = 0.036), while the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism in short sleepers was not elevated. Comparing long sleepers to normal sleepers, the OR for subclinical hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism was 1.79 (95% CI 1.12–2.86, p = 0.015) and 1.91 (95% CI 1.03–3.53, p = 0.039), respectively. Conclusions: Both shorter and longer sleep durations were associated with an increase in the risk of subclinical thyroid dysfunction compared to the optimal sleep duration. This analysis of representative population data shows that sleep duration could intertwine with thyroid function resulting in increased risk of subclinical thyroid dysfunction.

scholarly journals The Relation Between Thyroid Function and Anemia: A Pooled Analysis of Individual Participant Data

2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (10) ◽  
pp. 3658-3667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy M Wopereis ◽  
Robert S Du Puy ◽  
Diana van Heemst ◽  
John P Walsh ◽  
Alexandra Bremner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Function ◽  
Subclinical Hypothyroidism ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Overt Hypothyroidism ◽  
Individual Participant Data ◽  
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism ◽  
Thyroid Status ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Individual Participant ◽  
Overt Hyperthyroidism

Abstract Context Anemia and thyroid dysfunction often co-occur, and both increase with age. Human data on relationships between thyroid disease and anemia are scarce. Objective To investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between clinical thyroid status and anemia. Design Individual participant data meta-analysis. Setting Sixteen cohorts participating in the Thyroid Studies Collaboration (n = 42,162). Main Outcome Measures Primary outcome measure was anemia (hemoglobin &lt;130 g/L in men and &lt;120 g/L in women). Results Cross-sectionally, participants with abnormal thyroid status had an increased risk of having anemia compared with euthyroid participants [overt hypothyroidism, pooled OR 1.84 (95% CI 1.35 to 2.50), subclinical hypothyroidism 1.21 (1.02 to 1.43), subclinical hyperthyroidism 1.27 (1.03 to 1.57), and overt hyperthyroidism 1.69 (1.00 to 2.87)]. Hemoglobin levels were lower in all groups compared with participants with euthyroidism. In the longitudinal analyses (n = 25,466 from 14 cohorts), the pooled hazard ratio for the risk of development of anemia was 1.38 (95% CI 0.86 to 2.20) for overt hypothyroidism, 1.18 (1.00 to 1.38) for subclinical hypothyroidism, 1.15 (0.94 to 1.42) for subclinical hyperthyroidism, and 1.47 (0.91 to 2.38) for overt hyperthyroidism. Sensitivity analyses excluding thyroid medication or high levels of C-reactive protein yielded similar results. No differences in mean annual change in hemoglobin levels were observed between the thyroid hormone status groups. Conclusion Higher odds of having anemia were observed in participants with both hypothyroid function and hyperthyroid function. In addition, reduced thyroid function at baseline showed a trend of increased risk of developing anemia during follow-up. It remains to be assessed in a randomized controlled trial whether treatment is effective in reducing anemia.

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