title: [Low levels of HDL cholesterol in hypothyroid patients with cardiovascular diseases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypothyroidism is a frequent cause of hyperlipidemia, particularly in women, but its true prevalence, both in the general population and in dyslipidemic subjects, is unknown. It is uncertain if low thyroid function significantly influence HDL metabolism and if sub-clinical disease may cause metabolic abnormalities and increase cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-hundred and three consecutive female patients (mean age 59.2 +/- 0.5 yrs), observed in a metabolic ward because of dyslipidemia, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three women (14.1% of the total) showed sub-clinical hypothyroidism, while in 12 cases (4.0%) overt hypothyroidism was diagnosed; 8 further women (2.6%) had been previously diagnosed to be hypothyroid and were under hormone replacement therapy. On the whole, hypothyroid patients showed higher mean triglyceride levels and lower HDL-cholesterol than dyslipidemic euthyroid women, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Total cholesterol concentration did not change with impaired thyroid function. Hypothyroid patients reported a clinical history of cardiovascular disease, or had severe atherosclerosis demonstrated, more often than euthyroid subjects (25.0% vs 19.7%, p = n.s.). When only women with arterial disease were considered, HDL plasma levels were significantly lower in the hypothyroid than in the euthyroid group (44.3 +/- 3.1 vs 56.2 +/- 1.7 mg/dl, respectively; p < 0.01). Hypertriglyceridemia and obesity often coexisted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, among dyslipidemic women, unrecognised hypothyroidism is highly prevalent (both sub-clinical and manifest). In hypothyroid subjects atherosclerosis seem to associate with particularly low HDL plasma levels. This might precede atherosclerosis development (reinforced by concomitant thyroid failure) and represent a marker of the polymetabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università degli Studi, Ferrara.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carantoni
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Vigna
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stucci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanca
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fellin
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL
vernacular_title: Ridotti livelli di colesterolo HDL nelle pazienti ipotiroidee con malattie cardiovascolari.