Eur J Endocrinol
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DOI: 10.1530/EJE-09-0376
European Journal of Endocrinology, Vol 161, Issue 4, 615-621
Copyright © 2009 by European Society of Endocrinology
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CLINICAL STUDY

Subclinical hyperthyroidism and blood pressure in a population-based prospective cohort study

Henry Völzke1,*, Till Ittermann1,*, Carsten O Schmidt1, Marcus Dörr2, Ulrich John3, Henri Wallaschofski2, Bruno H C Stricker4, Stephan B Felix2 and Rainer Rettig5

1 SHIP/Clinical-Epidemiological Research Unit, Institute of Community Medicine2 Department of Medicine3 Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Strasse 48, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany4 Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, NL 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands5 Institute of Physiology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Strasse 48, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany

(Correspondence should be addressed to H Völzke; Email: voelzke{at}uni-greifswald.de)

* (H Völzke and T Ittermann contributed equally to this work)

Objectives: There is current controversy on the association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and hypertension. Data from cohort studies have not been available yet. The present study was designed to longitudinally investigate possible associations of subclinical hyperthyroidism with blood pressure, pulse pressure and the risk of hypertension.

Methods: We used data from the population-based, prospective cohort Study of Health in Pomerania and included 2910 subjects (1469 women) aged 20–79 years with completed 5-year examination follow-up. Subjects with increased serum TSH levels or overt hyperthyroidism were excluded. Serum TSH levels below 0.25 mIU/l with free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine levels within the reference range were defined as subclinical hyperthyroidism. Blood pressure was measured according to standard methods.

Results: Multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, overweight, obesity, smoking status and time between the examinations did not reveal any statistically significant association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and any of the blood pressure-related variables in the whole study population. Although the 5-year hypertension incidence was higher in subjects with subclinical hyperthyroidism compared with those without (31.4 vs 19.2%; risk ratio 1.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–2.28, P=0.006), both groups did not differ with respect to the risk of hypertension, after analyses were adjusted for confounders (relative risk 1.23, 95% CI 0.91–1.68, P=0.182). Analyses yielded similar results in subjects without thyroid disease and in those who took no antihypertensive medication.

Conclusion: Subclinical hyperthyroidism is not associated with changes in blood pressure, pulse pressure or incident hypertension.






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