The aim of the investigation is to study the state of arteries of elastic and muscular type in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism to reveal potential factors of cardiovascular risk. Materials and methods. There have been studied three groups of patients, each group consisting of 29 females: 1st control group, with no abnormalities, 2nd with autoimmune thyroiditis and euthyroid status, 3rd with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism. There have been estimated hormonal status (ТТГ, Т4, Т3), antibody level to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxydase, endothelial function and arterial stiffness. Results. In subclinical hypothyroidism there is significant decrease of endothelial function of brachial artery, with normal indices of nonendothelium dependent vasodilation; arterial wall stiffness and endothelial dysfunction increase, that is determined by a number of factors including the levels of T3, T4, thyrotropic hormone, lipid profile, and arterial pressure. The level of systemic arterial pressure can be of great concern in the increase of arterial stiffness if there are no marked changes of lipid spectrum. The obtained data indicate the negative effect of even minimal thyroid function on vessel condition that can contribute to the increase of cardiovascular risk along with lipid spectrum disorders in this group of patients.

This study was designed to elucidate the relationship between the age of the patients presenting with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism and the changes in their cardiovascular system. The following characteristics were estimated: the structure of the left ventricle, its overall and segmental diastolic function (by tissue Doppler echocadiography), and rigidity of the arterial walls (from the Young's modulus of elasticity, by ultrasonography). The patients were 95 women at the age of 20 to 50 years of whom 47 presented with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism and 48 with euthyroidism (controls). They were divided into 3 age groups to be compared in the «subclinical hypothyroidism vs control» mode. Group 1 comprised 12 ad 13 women respectively aged 20-30 years, Group 2 contained 12 and 10 patients (31-40 years), group 3 included 23 and 25 patients (41-50 years). Young women with subclinical hypothyroidism were characterized by high values of Young's modulus and a large number of dysfunctional left ventricular segments (page, subclinical hypothyroidism also tended to have high values of Young's modulus in the absence of diastolic dysfunction. The oldest patients showed no signs of left ventricular dysfunction or arterial wall rigidity compared with controls (page influences manifestations of changes in the cardiovascular system characteristic of subclinical hypothyroidism. In young women, this condition is associated with more pronounced disturbances of both overall and segmental diastolic functions and arterial elasticity than in control subjects. The women of older age groups show less apparent cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities while the role of subclinical hypothyroidism as a cardiovascular risk factor is relatively insignificant.

This study was designed to elucidate the relationship between the age of the patients presenting with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism and the changes in their cardiovascular system. The following characteristics were estimated: the structure of the left ventricle, its overall and segmental diastolic function (by tissue Doppler echocadiography), and rigidity of the arterial walls (from the Young's modulus of elasticity, by ultrasonography). The patients were 95 women at the age of 20 to 50 years of whom 47 presented with autoimmune thyroiditis and subclinical hypothyroidism and 48 with euthyroidism (controls). They were divided into 3 age groups to be compared in the «subclinical hypothyroidism vs control» mode. Group 1 comprised 12 ad 13 women respectively aged 20-30 years, Group 2 contained 12 and 10 patients (31-40 years), group 3 included 23 and 25 patients (41-50 years). Young women with subclinical hypothyroidism were characterized by high values of Young's modulus and a large number of dysfunctional left ventricular segments (p<0.05). In the patients of the intermediate age, subclinical hypothyroidism also tended to have high values of Young's modulus in the absence of diastolic dysfunction. The oldest patients showed no signs of left ventricular dysfunction or arterial wall rigidity compared with controls (p<0.05). The results of the study indicate that the patient's age influences manifestations of changes in the cardiovascular system characteristic of subclinical hypothyroidism. In young women, this condition is associated with more pronounced disturbances of both overall and segmental diastolic functions and arterial elasticity than in control subjects. The women of older age groups show less apparent cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities while the role of subclinical hypothyroidism as a cardiovascular risk factor is relatively insignificant.

AIM: to evaluate global and segmental myocardial diastolic function, vascular wall elasticity, and the relation of arterial compliance to diastolic dysfunction in patients with SH. METHODS. We studied global and regional diastolic function of left and right ventricles (LV and RV) by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), arterial stiffness by ultrasound assessment of Young`s elastic modulus, as well as biochemical parameters in 50 middle-aged women. 14 of them were euthyroid and had endemic goiter (controls), 11 women were euthyroid but had autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), 25 patients had AT and subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). RESULTS. Patients with SH compared with euthyroid patients and controls exhibited lower Em/Am (p = 0.060) and Et/At (p = 0.034) values, increased prevalence of segmental LV diastolic dysfunction (p = 0.030) and higher Young`s elastic modulus (p = 0.049) indicating impaired global and regional diastolic function as well as increased arterial stiffness. Em/Am and Et/At ratio negatively correlated with age, TSH, LDL cholesterol values and Young`s modulus suggesting that RV and LV diastolic function was more changed in older, hypothyroid patients and by dislipidemia. Young`s elastic modulus values were positively correlated with the number of dysfunctional segments by TDI, cholesterol values and negatively with T4 values. CONCLUSIONS SH is associated with the impairment of global and regional diastolic function of RV and LV, and with increased arterial wall stiffness. There may be a common pathophysiological pathway linking these two entities. Dislipidemia and atherosclerosis acceleration can contribute, at least partly, to the cardiovascular abnormalities.