Thyroid hormone treatment connected to cardiovascular mortality

In a population-based cohort study of 705 307 adults who received thyroid hormone treatment, 10.8% died of cardiovascular causes. Both exogenous hyperthyroidism and exogenous hypothyroidism were associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Study published in JAMA Network Open suggest that the intensity of thyroid hormone treatment may be a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. Two cohorts were studied: 701 929 adults aged 18 years or older who initiated thyroid hormone treatment with at least 2 thyrotropin measurements between treatment initiation and either death or the end of the study period, and, separately, 373 981 patients with at least 2 free thyroxine (FT4) measurements.

It was found that overall, 10.8% died of cardiovascular causes. After adjusting for age, sex, traditional cardiovascular risk factors patients with exogenous hyperthyroidism and patients with exogenous hypothyroidism had increased risk of cardiovascular mortality compared with individuals with euthyroidism.

Researchers concluded that this study suggests that both exogenous hyperthyroidism and exogenous hypothyroidism were associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining euthyroidism to decrease cardiovascular risk and death among patients receiving thyroid hormone treatment.