ESPE Abstracts

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide and both high and low blood pressures are associated with various chronic disease. Thyroid hormones have profound effects on cardiovascular function, including effects on blood pressure.

Objective and hypotheses: Recent studies suggest that early life high blood pressure could be attributed to hypertension in late adulthood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between thyroid hormones and blood pressure in children.

Method: In the birth cohort at Ewha Womans University Hospital, 181 children are participated in the subsequent 7–9 year check-up program. We compared the level of serum TSH and blood pressure status in children aged 7–9 years. Serum TSH levels were measured with the electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Hypertension was defined according to the Korea centers for disease control and prevention guideline of hypertension.

Results: In this study, the means of serum TSH was higher in children who had hypertension compared with the normal group (2.9 μIU/ml (95% CI: 2.7–3.2) vs 3.3 μIU/ml (95% CI: 2.6–4.0) adjusted for sex, age, birth weight, current BMI, breast-feeding, parents age and income status. The higher levels of TSH (≥75 percentile) were related to a higher risk of hypertension (odds ratio=1.04, 95% CI: 0.64–1.69). In contrast, the levels of TSH were associated with reduced risk of hypertension in the control group (TSH: 25–75 percentiles).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that there may be a positive association between serum TSH concentrations and hypertension within the reference range.