title: High levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone are associated with aortic wall thickness in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate the association of thyroid function defined by serum concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with thoracic aortic wall thickness (AWT) as a marker of atherosclerotic processes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We pooled data of 2,679 individuals from two independent population-based surveys of the Study of Health in Pomerania. Aortic diameter and AWT measurements were performed on a 1.5-T MRI scanner at the concentration of the right pulmonary artery displaying the ascending and the descending aorta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TSH, treated as continuous variable, was significantly associated with descending AWT (β = 0.11; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.21), while the association with ascending AWT was not statistically significant (β = 0.20; 95 % CI -0.01-0.21). High TSH (>3.29 mIU/L) was significantly associated with ascending (β = 0.12; 95 % CI 0.02-0.23) but not with descending AWT (β = 0.06; 95 % CI -0.04-0.16). There was no consistent association between TSH and aortic diameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrated that AWT values increase with increasing serum TSH concentrations. Thus, a hypothyroid state may be indicative for aortic atherosclerosis. These results fit very well to the findings of previous studies pointing towards increased atherosclerotic risk in the hypothyroid state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Serum TSH concentrations are positively associated with aortic wall thickness. • Serum TSH concentrations are not associated with the aortic diameters. • Serum 3,5-diiodothyronine concentrations may be positively associated with aortic wall thickness.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Str. 48, D-17475, Greifswald, Germany. till.ittermann@uni-greifswald.de.|DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. till.ittermann@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ittermann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorbeer
authors.affiliation: DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.|Department of Internal Medicine B - Cardiology, Intensive Care, Pulmonary Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quadrat
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heßelbarth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lehmphul
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köhrle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mensel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther Rathenau Str. 48, D-17475, Greifswald, Germany.|DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004104:Diiodothyronines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009929:Organ Size; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004104:Diiodothyronines; C030103:3,5-diiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin
keywords: 3,5-diiodothyronine; Aorta; Atherosclerosis; Epidemiology; High thyrotropin