Why is it important to perform early ultrasound screening of arteries in patients with reduced thyroid function?
Post updated: July 17
To date, attention is especially focused on hypothyroidism in the development and progression of atherogenesis processes.
This is confirmed by a study conducted in 1995 in the USA (Colorado) to identify the prevalence of thyroid pathology among 25,862 participants. There was evidence that even a slight (subclinical) decrease in thyroid function leads to an increase in total cholesterol.
According to Bakirov N.M. (2013), in a study of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, it was found that atherogenic changes in the blood lipid profile increased with increasing TSH levels.
A decrease in thyroid function in hypothyroidism is usually accompanied by disorders of lipid metabolism, not only total cholesterol, but also VLDL, LDL, a decrease in HDL, HDL-2, as well as an increase in apo-β and apo-α1 TG.
Thus, an increasing number of scientists around the world consider subclinical hypothyroidism as one of the factors in the development of cardiovascular pathology. Since subclinical hypothyroidism is in most cases an accidental finding in young patients, the question remains relevant for what period of time cardiovascular pathology develops, especially in asymptomatic patients.
One of the important indicators is the intima-media complex (CIM), reflecting the general course of the atherosclerotic process and clearly correlated with morbidity and mortality. Even in patients (25-44) with a low risk of cardiovascular events on the Framingham scale (<5%), ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries reveals initial atherosclerotic changes, which may be indirect evidence of the presence of coronary atherosclerosis.
Thus, the thickness of the CMM is a sonographic marker of early atherosclerotic lesion of the vascular wall and reflects not only local changes in the carotid arteries, but also indicates the spread of atherosclerosis.
This is confirmed by a study conducted in 1995 in the USA (Colorado) to identify the prevalence of thyroid pathology among 25,862 participants. There was evidence that even a slight (subclinical) decrease in thyroid function leads to an increase in total cholesterol.
According to Bakirov N.M. (2013), in a study of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, it was found that atherogenic changes in the blood lipid profile increased with increasing TSH levels.
A decrease in thyroid function in hypothyroidism is usually accompanied by disorders of lipid metabolism, not only total cholesterol, but also VLDL, LDL, a decrease in HDL, HDL-2, as well as an increase in apo-β and apo-α1 TG.
Thus, an increasing number of scientists around the world consider subclinical hypothyroidism as one of the factors in the development of cardiovascular pathology. Since subclinical hypothyroidism is in most cases an accidental finding in young patients, the question remains relevant for what period of time cardiovascular pathology develops, especially in asymptomatic patients.
One of the important indicators is the intima-media complex (CIM), reflecting the general course of the atherosclerotic process and clearly correlated with morbidity and mortality. Even in patients (25-44) with a low risk of cardiovascular events on the Framingham scale (<5%), ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries reveals initial atherosclerotic changes, which may be indirect evidence of the presence of coronary atherosclerosis.
Thus, the thickness of the CMM is a sonographic marker of early atherosclerotic lesion of the vascular wall and reflects not only local changes in the carotid arteries, but also indicates the spread of atherosclerosis.
