The Association of Thyroid Volume with Framingham Risk Score and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women

Objective: Insulin resistance contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease by different mechanisms such as atheroscle- rosis, coronary artery calcification, endothelial dysfunction, and activation of inflammatory processes. Besides functional changes, it has been shown that thyroid volume and the prevalence of thyroid nodules are increased in patients with insulin resistance. Although different studies have shown the relationship between cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance, thyroid morphological abnormalities, and insulin resistance, there is no study showing a possible relationship between thyroid volume and cardiovascular disease. In our study, we aimed to find out whether there was a link between thyroid volume and cardiovascular disease. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 190 postmenopausal women. Framingham risk scoring was used to estimate the 10-year cardiovascular risk of contributors. In addition to biochemical parameters (parameters of carbohydrate metabolism, lipid profile, and uric acid), carotid intima-media thickness, and thyroid volume were evaluated. Results: Thyroid volume was associated with parameters closely related to cardiovascular diseases such as increased waist-to-hip ratio, increased arterial systolic blood pressure, increased uric acid level, increased insulin level, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index. Additionally, the relationship between the thyroid volume and the Framingham risk score was used to reveal the risk of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, there was a significant relationship with CIMT, a predictor of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Present report suggests that patients with high thyroid volume should be evaluated in detail for cardiovascular disease. Thyroid volume can be used to calculate cardiovascular risk and as an indicator for exposure to the risk factors.