Korean J Obes.  2008 Mar;17(1):10-19.

The Relationship between Thyroid Hormone and Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Euthyroid Adults

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Family Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Korea. kwkimmd@naver.com
  • 2Incheon International Airport Medical Center, Korea.
  • 3Department of Surgery, Inha University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a cause for early mortality but there is a metabolically healthy obese (MHO) subtype and interests in its characteristics are increasing. Thyroid hormone is one of the important hormones engaged in energy metabolism but its association with obesity and metabolic complication is not well known. This study was conducted to examine whether thyroid hormones including thyrotropin (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine (fT4) have any relationships with the components of metabolic syndrome including waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and fasting glucose in obese subjects within normal range of thyroid function test.
METHODS
A total of 774 men and 298 women, aged 21~88 years, with body mass index above 25 kg/m2 and TSH level between 0.15 and 5.0 mIU/L were studied. Self-reported questionnaire about medical history and routine screening tests were performed. Waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, fasting glucose and serum TSH, T3 and fT4 were measured.
RESULTS
In obese males, serum TSH and T3 were positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum TG level. In obese females, TSH was positively related with waist circumference and TG while T3 was positively related with waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and TG..
CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid hormones were associated with the components of metabolic syndrome. Metabolically healthy obese males with none or one component of metabolic syndrome risk factor showed lower TSH and lower T3 level. Metabolically healthy females had a relatively lower T3 level compared to the metabolically unhealthy obese subjects with more than two components of metabolic syndrome.

Keyword

Obesity; Metabolic syndrome X; Thyroid hormones; Thyrotropin; Triiodothyronine

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Cardiovascular Diseases
Energy Metabolism
Fasting
Female
Glucose
Humans
Lipoproteins
Male
Mass Screening
Metabolic Syndrome X
Obesity
Reference Values
Risk Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Hormones
Thyrotropin
Thyroxine
Triiodothyronine
Waist Circumference
Glucose
Lipoproteins
Thyroid Hormones
Thyrotropin
Thyroxine
Triiodothyronine
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