Subclinical hypothyroidism, hyperhomocysteinemia and dyslipidemia: investigating links with ischemic stroke in Turkish patients.
OBJECTIVE
Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Hypothyroidism may cause hyperhomocysteinemia. To date, no works have examined the association between hypothyroidism and hyperhomocysteinemia in ischemic stroke. We aimed to investigate the roles of hypothyroidism and hyperhomocysteinemia in ischemic stroke, and whether any relationship exists between hypothyroidism and hyperhomocysteinemia in ischemic stroke patients.


METHODS
The study included 249 ischemic stroke patients and 102 patients with no history of stroke. Patients were evaluated for conventional risk factors and levels of homocysteine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, vitamin B12 and folic acid.


RESULTS
Ten (4%) patients in the ischemic stroke group had subclinical hypothyroidism. We did not find any overt or subclinical hypothyroidism in the control group. Hypothyroidism was higher to a statistically significant degree in the ischemic stroke group (p<0.05). Both hyperhomocysteinemia and hypothyroidism were associated with ischemic stroke patients. However, no association was found between hyperhomocysteinemia and hypothyroidism. Ischemic stroke patients with hypothyroidism had lower levels of HDL cholesterol and levels of total cholesterol/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C were higher than those of ischemic stroke patients without hypothyroidism.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypothyroidism is associated with ischemic stroke. Low HDL cholesterol, high total cholesterol/HDL-C and high LDL-C/HDL-C were associated in ischemic stroke patients with hypothyroidism. Hyperhomocysteinemia was not found to be associated with ischemic stroke patients with hypothyroidism.
Karakurum Goksel
Basak
B
Department of Neurology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana Teaching and Medical Research Center, Adana, Turkey. bkarakurum@hotmail.com
Karatas
Mehmet
M
Nebioglu
Asuman
A
Sezgin
Nurzen
N
Tan
Meliha
M
Seydaoglu
G
G
Benli
Sibel
S
Karaca
Sibel
S
Arlier
Zulfikar
Z
Yerdelen
D
D
D000368:Aged; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000209:etiology*; D007118:Immunoassay; D007511:Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
D013972:Thyrotropin; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12