Underactive thyroid: a marker of heart disease

PRLog (Press Release) - May 2, 2012 - Men and women with underactive or overactive thyroid without symptoms are at an increased risk of heart disease. Silent or "subclinical" thyroid dysfunction represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Quoting a study from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, by Dr. Nicholas Rodondi and published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India said that the likelihood of coronary heart disease, heart–related death and death from any cause is higher by 20 percent, 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in subjects with an underactive thyroid without symptoms –– also referred to as subclinical hypothyroidism.

Their findings are based on pooled data from 12 studies identified through a search of MEDLINE (1950 to 2008). Ten of the studies involved population–based groups that included 14,449 subjects. http://www.emedinews.org/press-release
Heart Care Foundation of India’s own data from visitors of Perfect Health Mela estimates 3% hypothyroidism (thyroid hypo function) in Delhi.

People with an overactive thyroid but without symptoms (silent hyperthyroidism) also had 21 percent, 19 percent, and 12 percent greater odds, respectively, of heart disease, heart–related death, and death from any cause.

The screening test for thyroid is TSH blood test. The normal values are 0.3 to 3 mIU/L. A value between 3 and 10 is considered subclinical hypo active thyroid and a value of less than 0.3 without symptoms is considered subclinical over active thyroid.