Subclinical hypothyroidism has little influences on muscle mass or strength in elderly people.
Sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass, affects the muscle strength and muscle quality, and these changes decrease functional capacity. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction increases with age, and changes in thyroid hormone level lead to neuromuscular deficits. We investigated the effects of subclinical hypothyroidism on the muscle mass, strength or quality in elderly people. One thousand one hundred eighteen subjects aged > or = 65 yr were randomly selected from a local population and classified into a euthyroid (280 men and 358 women), subclinically hypothyroid (61 men and 75 women), or overtly hypothyroid (7 men and 16 women) group. Although women with subclinical hypothyroidism had a higher prevalence of sarcopenia, defined according to the ratio of appendicular skeletal muscle mass to the square of height, muscle mass, strength or quality did not differ in relation to thyroid status in men or in women. Multivariate analysis including age, diabetes, hypertension, acute coronary event, alcohol, smoking, presence of pain, physical activity score, and lipid profile, showed that thyroid-stimulating hormone level was not associated with muscle mass, strength or quality. In conclusion, subclinical hypothyroidism has little influences on muscle mass, strength or quality, and may not be associated with sarcopenia.
Moon
Min Kyong
MK
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
You Jin
YJ
Choi
Sung Hee
SH
Lim
Soo
S
Yang
Eun Joo
EJ
Lim
Jae-Young
JY
Paik
Nam-Jong
NJ
Kim
Ki Woong
KW
Park
Kyong Soo
KS
Jang
Hak C
HC
Cho
Bo Youn
BY
Park
Young Joo
YJ
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires