The relationship between serum cholesterol and serum thyrotropin, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine concentrations in suspected hypothyroidism.
The relationship between serum cholesterol, thyrotropin, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine was investigated in 1018 female patients over 40 years of age with suspected hypothyroidism. The correlation between serum thyrotropin and cholesterol (r = 0.398) and between thyroxine and cholesterol (r = -0.217) were both highly significant (P less than 0.001), but the correlation between tri-iodothyronine and cholesterol (r = -0.011) was not significant. Only in patients with a serum thyrotropin in excess of 40 mU/L was there a clinically appreciable increase in the serum cholesterol. In 139 patients treated for hypothyroidism by thyroxine replacement there was a highly significant correlation (P less than 0.001) between the decrease in serum thyrotropin and cholesterol (r = 0.593). The correlation between increase in serum thyroxine and decrease in cholesterol (r = -0.401) was also highly significant (P less than 0.001), but there was an even stronger correlation between the increase in serum tri-iodothyronine and the decrease in serum cholesterol (r = -0.529).
Elder
J
J
Institute of Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
McLelland
A
A
O'Reilly
D S
DS
Packard
C J
CJ
Series
J J
JJ
Shepherd
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D002784:Cholesterol; D013974:Thyroxine