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. 2013;22(1):42-6.
doi: 10.1159/000340065. Epub 2012 Aug 9.

Epicardial adipose tissue increased in patients with newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism

Levent Korkmaz  1 , Sinan Sahin, Ali Riza Akyuz, Murat Ziyrek, Inan Anaforoglu, Mustafa Kose, Hakan Erkan, Mustafa Tarık Ağaç, Zeydin Acar
Affiliations

Epicardial adipose tissue increased in patients with newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism

Levent Korkmaz et al. Med Princ Pract. 2013.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether or not patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) have increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT).

Subjects and methods: Sixty-one patients with newly diagnosed SH and without any known cardiovascular disease were enrolled. Twenty-four subjects matched for age, gender and body mass index without any thyroid dysfunctions were included as a control group. The EAT was measured by echocardiography and thyroid functions were assessed by routine blood examination.

Results: Patients with SH had higher EAT values than control subjects (3.6 ± 0.9 vs. 2.8 ± 1.4, p = 0.005). Also, SH patients with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) ≥10 mU/l had higher EAT than those with SH with TSH <10 mU/l and control subjects (p = 0.013). In addition, while there was significant correlation between EAT and TSH (r = 0.31, p = 0.014) in patients with SH, there was no significant relation between EAT and TSH in normal subjects (r = 0.09, p = 0.64).

Conclusions: There was a higher level of EAT in patients with SH compared with normal subjects and a significant correlation between EAT and TSH was found.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Measurement of epicardial fat by echocardiography.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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