Middle-aged and older adults with an elevated thyroid hormone may be at higher risk of heart disease and death, researchers found. In the new Dutch study, high and even high-normal levels of a hormone called free thyroxine (FT4) doubled the odds of having calcification of the coronary arteries. This can be a sign of atherosclerosis, commonly called hardening of the arteries.
Higher FT4 levels were also linked to an 87% greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke and twice the risk of dying from one. “High FT4 is indicative of an overactive thyroid,” explained lead researcher Dr. Arjola Bano, of Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
FT4 is produced in the thyroid gland at the front of the neck. It helps control the body’s rate of energy use, she said. Atherosclerosis means you have fatty deposits called plaque that can clog arteries. As plaque builds up, the artery narrows, reducing blood flow. Atherosclerosis can progress from thickening and hardening to the artery walls to heart disease, stroke and death, Bano said.
“Our findings suggest that FT4 measurement can help identify people at increased risk of atherosclerotic events,” she added.
