Association between a serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration within the normal range and indices of obesity in Japanese men and women.
OBJECTIVE
This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between the serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration and indices of obesity in middle-aged Japanese men and women.


METHODS
The participants were 2,037 employees (1,044 men and 993 women; age, 36-55 yr) of a metal products factory in Japan. Clinical examinations were conducted in 2009. We obtained a medical history and anthropometric measurements (body weight, body mass index [BMI] and waist circumference) and measured the serum TSH concentrations. The anthropometric indices were compared across serum TSH quartiles. The associations were evaluated separately according to the smoking status in men.


RESULTS
The mean body weight (kg), BMI (kg/m(2)) and waist circumference (cm) were 69.2, 23.7 and 83.2 in men and 55.3, 22.3 and 74.3 in women, respectively. Men with a higher TSH concentration had higher body weight and BMI values (p for trend=0.016 and 0.019, respectively), and these significant associations were observed even after adjusting for age, smoking status and other potential confounders. The TSH level was not associated with waist circumference. We found a significant interaction between the TSH level and the smoking status on body weight (p for interaction=0.013) and a significant association between the TSH level and body weight in nonsmokers, but not in current smokers. No significant associations were observed between the TSH level and the anthropometric indices in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant positive associations between the serum TSH concentration, body weight and BMI were detected in men only, and an interaction with the smoking status was observed for this association.
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, Japan.
Masaru
M
Sakurai
Koshi
K
Nakamura
Katsuyuki
K
Miura
Katsushi
K
Yoshita
Toshinari
T
Takamura
Shin-ya
SY
Nagasawa
Yuko
Y
Morikawa
Masao
M
Ishizaki
Teruhiko
T
Kido
Yuchi
Y
Naruse
Motoko
M
Nakashima
Kazuhiro
K
Nogawa
Yasushi
Y
Suwazono
Hideaki
H
Nakagawa
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D013972:Thyrotropin