title: Association of Serum Thyrotropin with Anthropometric Markers of Obesity in the General Population.
abstract: Except from associations study with body weight, there are few longitudinal data regarding the association between thyroid function and anthropometric measurements such as waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or waist-to height ratio.
  
  
  
  This study aimed to investigate the association of thyrotropin (TSH) at baseline with changes in different anthropometric markers between baseline and follow-up in the general population.
  
  
  
  Data were used from four population-based longitudinal cohort studies and one population-based cross-sectional study. A total of 16,902 (8204 males) subjects aged 20-95 years from the general population were studied. Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio were measured. Multivariable median regression models were calculated adjusting for the following covariates: age, sex, baseline value of the respective anthropometric marker, smoking status, follow-up-time period, and study site.
  
  
  
  In cross-sectional analyses, serum TSH within the reference range was positively associated with waist circumference (β = 0.94 cm [confidence interval (CI) 0.56-1.32]) and waist-to-height-ratio (β = 0.029 [CI 0.017-0.042]). These associations were also present for the full range of TSH. In the longitudinal analyses, serum TSH at baseline was inversely associated with a five-year change of all considered anthropometric measures within the prior defined study-specific reference range, as well as in the full range of serum TSH.
  
  
  
  High TSH serum levels were positively associated with current anthropometric markers, even in the study-specific reference ranges. In contrast, high TSH serum levels were associated with decreased anthropometric markers over a time span of approximately five years. Further research is needed to determine possible clinical implications as well as public health consequences of these findings.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg , Halle (Saale), Germany .
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tiller
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ittermann
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg , Halle (Saale), Germany .|3 German Cancer Research Centre , Division of Cancer Epidemiology, Heidelberg, Germany .
authors.forename: Karin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Greiser
authors.affiliation: 4 Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health , München, Germany .
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meisinger
authors.affiliation: 5 Research Centre for Prevention and Health , the Capital Region, Denmark .
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agger
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: 5 Research Centre for Prevention and Health , the Capital Region, Denmark .
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thuesen
authors.affiliation: 5 Research Centre for Prevention and Health , the Capital Region, Denmark .|7 Department of Clinical Experimental Research, Rigshospitalet , Glostrup, Denmark .|8 Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark .
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linneberg
authors.affiliation: 5 Research Centre for Prevention and Health , the Capital Region, Denmark .|9 Rotterdam Thyroid Center, Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: 4 Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health , München, Germany .
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heier
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg , Halle (Saale), Germany .
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kluttig
authors.affiliation: 10 Department of Medicine III, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany .
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Werdan
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine; Erasmus Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schipf
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .|11 Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .|12 DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) , partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany .
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.affiliation: 11 Department of Internal Medicine B, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .|12 DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) , partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany .
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald , Greifswald, Germany .|12 DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) , partner site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany .
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg , Halle (Saale), Germany .
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haerting
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D065927:Waist-Height Ratio; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013972:Thyrotropin