
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and its Correlation with Lipid Profile in the Obese Nepalese Population
932-937
Correspondence
NAGILA A; The School of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal.
Background and Objectives: Obesity is an epidemic across the globe, with its presence even in the developing countries. Obesity is associated with derangements in the lipid profile, which further increases the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, stroke and certain cancers like endometrial, colon, oesophageal and uterine. However, the association of obesity and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is equivocal. The current study was undertaken (1)To establish the correlation between serum TSH level and varying degrees of obesity depending on the body mass index (BMI).(2)To evaluate the relationship between BMI and lipid profile.
Materials and Methods: Two hundred and thirty seven (183 obese and 54 controls) subjects were recruited for this study, with their ages ranging from 30-65 years, attending the Western Regional Hospital, a government referral centre in the Western region of Nepal. Subjects with a history of familial hypercholesterolaemia, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, hypertension, renal disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer, were excluded from the study. Anthropometric variables, lipid profiles and TSH levels were determined in the controls and obese subjects. Blood glucose, serum urea, serum creatinine and SGPT levels were also determined in the participants.
Result: Significant differences in the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were observed between obese and non-obese subjects (SBP; p<0.05; DBP; p<0.05). Weight and WC and W/H ratios, significantly, were positively correlated with increasing BMI (p<0.001). Higher TC, TG, LDL-C and VLDL-C levels were observed in obese subjects as compared to controls, except HDL-C, which was significantly lower in obese subjects.
Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in TSH levels in controls as compared to obese subjects. When the TSH levels were correlated among the obese subjects with grade I and grade II obesity according to BMI values, a significant difference (p<0.05) in TSH levels were observed, highlighting the variation in TSH levels depending on the extent of obesity.
Conclusion: With the current understanding of patients with thyroid disorders, the lipid profile, BMI and TSH should be well correlated among the subjects presenting with obesity. As the lipid profile is deranged with higher BMI, it impairs resistant to TSH in peripheral tissue further aggravating the thyroid problem. A closer examination of TSH is required in obese subjects, as these subjects are prone to develop cardiovascular diseases.