Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani, Maryam Tohidi, Marzieh Rostami Dovom and Fereidoun Azizi
Introduction: Although overt hypothyroidism is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, there is no consensus regarding the impact of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) on metabolic syndrome (MetS). A positive association between overt hypothyroidism and hypercholesterolemia is well documented. This study investigated whether there is any association between (SCH) and MetS components. Material and Methods: In a community based population using the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling method, 1126 women aged 18-45 years, were randomly selected from four urban areas of Iran. After considering the exclusion criteria, 914 subjects were enrolled. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the simultaneous effect of different variables on MetS and each of its components. Results: In this study the prevalence of euthyroid women with MetS was 16.9%, which was similar to its prevalence among women with SCH (19.2%). The average estimated total score of Mets in women with SCH was significantly higher than the euthyroid women (p=0.006). We found that TSH levels in SCH subjects were negatively and positively correlated with HDL-C and diastolic blood pressure respectively, even after adjustment for age, BMI and HOMA-IR. There was no significant correlation between TSH level in SCH subjects and other MetS components. The prevalence of obesity/overweight in women with SCH was higher than that in euthyroid women. Discussion: Although there is no evidence of any association between thyroid status and all Mets components, but thyroid dysfunction can be considered a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.