Hypothyroidism as a cause of hypertension.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To study whether there is an association between hypertension and hypothyroidism, measurements of blood pressure and thyroid function were determined in 477 female patients with chronic thyroiditis. Based on the blood levels of thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), 308 patients were considered euthyroid and 169 were hypothyroid [T4 = 2.9 +/- 0.1 micrograms/dl and TSH = 105.8 +/- 6.8 microU/ml (mean +/- SEM)]. Diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure in hypothyroid patients over 50 years was higher than in euthyroid patients of corresponding age groups. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in hypothyroid patients when hypertension was defined as the systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure above 160/95 mm Hg (14.8% vs 5.5%; p less than 0.01). Correlations between diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure and either the blood level of triiodothyronine (T3) or T4 was significant (r = - 0.174, p less than 0.01, and r = 0.208, p less than 0.01, respectively) when data from both euthyr...