Increased prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in older men and women with subclinical hypothyroidism.
BACKGROUND
We report the prevalence of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) associated with subclinical hypothyroidism in older persons.


METHODS
We investigated the association of subclinical hypothyroidism with symptomatic PAD in 18 persons (16 women and 2 men) with subclinical hypothyroidism and in 231 euthyroid persons (151 women and 96 men), mean age 79 +/- 9 years, in an academic nursing home.


RESULTS
Symptomatic PAD was present in 14 of 18 persons (78%) with subclinical hypothyroidism and in 40 of 231 euthyroid persons (17%; p <.0001, comparing subclinical hypothyroidism with euthyroidism). Symptomatic PAD was present in 13 of 16 women (81%) and in 1 of 2 men (50%) with subclinical hypothyroidism (p was not significant).


CONCLUSIONS
Subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with a high prevalence of symptomatic PAD in elderly men and women.
Mya
Min Min
MM
Department of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College, Valhalla, USA.
Aronow
Wilbert S
WS
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler