title: Thyroid-stimulating hormone is significantly associated with bone health status in men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies revealed a novel association between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and bone health status in healthy male populations. The present study aimed to validate this association and provide new information on the relationship between TSH levels and calcaneal speed of sound (SOS) in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study recruited 681 men with complete data of calcaneal SOS, body anthropometry, serum TSH, free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects had FT3 and FT4 levels within the in-house reference range and 13 subjects had lower than normal TSH levels. The results revealed that the SOS value of subjects was significantly associated with TSH after multiple adjustments (p<0.05). When subjects were divided into quintiles according to their TSH levels, the difference of SOS between men with low-normal TSH and high-normal TSH contributed significantly to the association between TSH and bone health status (p<0.05). The significance of the association persisted with the inclusion and exclusion of subclinical hyperthyroid subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a significant association between TSH levels and bone health status in men as assessed by quantitative ultrasound. This age-independent association between TSH and SOS might explain some of the individual variation of bone health status in men.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kok-Yong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Soelaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ima-Nirwana
authors.forename: Isa Naina
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Amilia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aminuddin
authors.forename: Mohamad Hanapi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Johari
authors.forename: Wan Zurinah Wan
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Ngah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D015519:Bone Density; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine
keywords: Thyroid-stimulating hormone; bone; calcaneus; men.