Association of thyroid hormones with blood pressure and arterial stiffness in the general population: The Dali study

Abstract

Thyroid dysfunction plays a role in blood pressure (BP) regulation. However, the associations between thyroid function and BP and arterial stiffness in the general Chinese population without thyroid disease are unknown. This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between thyroid function and peripheral and central BP and arterial stiffness in Chinese individuals. After excluding those who had thyroid diseases or incomplete clinical measurements, this study included 691 participants. Of the participants, 444 (64.2%) were women and 215 (31.1%) had hypertension. After adjustment for covariates, serum FT3 was significantly associated with a higher pulse rate in both sexes. In men, each 2.72-fold increase in serum FT4 levels was associated with higher peripheral systolic BP (+10.82 mmHg, p = .005) and pulse pressure (+5.71 mmHg, p = .03). Each 2.72-fold increase in serum FT4 levels was associated with higher central systolic BP (+8.03 mmHg, p = .03) and pulse pressure (+3.89 mmHg, p = .05). In women, serum FT4 was only associated with a higher central pulse pressure (+2.96 mmHg, p = .04). After adjustment for covariates, serum FT4 was significantly associated with a faster cfPWV exclusively in men. Our study showed that serum FT4 is associated with higher peripheral and central BP and faster cfPWV in men, whereas serum FT3 is positively associated with a higher pulse rate in both sexes, indicating that the effects of thyroid function on BP and arterial stiffness are more significant in men than in women.

Keywords: Chinese; arterial stiffness; blood pressure; population; thyroid hormone.

FIGURE 1

Peripheral systolic blood pressure across quartiles of serum FT4 levels among men and women. The values were adjusted for age, body mass index, alcohol intake, current smoking, former smoking, heart rate, antihypertensive treatment, and diabetes mellitus. Among men: Q1 (n = 62, FT4 9.01–13.46 pmol/l), Q2 (n = 62, FT4 13.58–16.67 pmol/l), Q3 (n = 61, FT4 16.68–19.37 pmol/l), and Q4 (n = 62, FT4 19.41–25.98 pmol/l). Among women: Q1 (n = 111, FT4 9.02–14.45 pmol/l), Q2 (n = 111, FT4 14.48–16.86 pmol/l), Q3 (n = 111, FT4 16.87–19.96 pmol/l), and Q4 (n = 111, FT4 19.97–25.98 pmol/l). SBP, systolic blood pressure

FIGURE 2

cfPWV across quartiles of serum FT4 among men and women. The values were adjusted for age, height, heart rate, alcohol intake, current smoking, former smoking, antihypertensive treatment, and diabetes mellitus. Among men: Q1 (n = 62, FT4 9.01–13.46 pmol/l), Q2 (n = 62, FT4 13.58–16.67 pmol/l), Q3 (n = 61, FT4 16.68–19.37 pmol/l), and Q4 (n = 62, FT4 19.41–25.98 pmol/l). Among women: Q1 (n = 111, FT4 9.02–14.45 pmol/l), Q2 (n = 111, FT4 14.48–16.86 pmol/l), Q3 (n = 111, FT4 16.87–19.96 pmol/l), and Q4 (n = 111, FT4 19.97–25.98 pmol/l). cfPWV, carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity