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The following is a summary of “Thyroid-related Hormones and Hypertension Incidence in Middle-Aged and Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: The HCHS/SOL Study,” published in the June 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Abasilim, et al.
Thyroid-related hormones play crucial roles in regulating metabolic pathways and blood pressure (BP). However, the specific relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), peripheral thyroid hormones, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in the development of hypertension remains incompletely understood. For a study, researchers sought to explore these associations in Hispanic/Latino adults over a 6-year follow-up period.
A cohort of 1,789 adults aged 45 to 74, initially free of diabetes, was analyzed from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. TSH, free thyroxine (FT4), triiodothyronine (T3), and various indicators of thyroid function were assessed. Using multivariable linear and Poisson regression adjusted for survey design and confounding factors, sex-specific associations of thyroid-related hormones with changes in BP and the development of hypertension were estimated.
In both men and women, TSH levels and the TSH/FT4 ratio were associated with changes in diastolic BP. In contrast, T3 levels were associated with changes in pulse pressure and the onset of hypertension from prehypertension. Among men, a 1-standard deviation (SD) increase in TSH (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.75) and TSH/FT4 ratio (IRR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.35) were positively associated with hypertension development from prehypertension. Conversely, in women, the TSH/FT4 ratio was protective (IRR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.00). Sex-specific differences were also observed in associations of the T3/FT4 ratio and pituitary sensitivity indices with changes in pulse pressure and hypertension development.
Thyroid-related hormones exhibited sex-specific associations with changes in BP and hypertension among Hispanic/Latino adults, consistent with findings from other populations. Further investigations were needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking pituitary sensitivity to thyroid hormones with BP regulation and the development of hypertension.