Hypothyroidism and Heart Rate Variability: Implications for Cardiac Autonomic Regulation

• Published in: Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 1261
• Main Authors: Bogdan, Carina, Ivan, Viviana Mihaela, Apostol, Adrian, Sandu, Oana Elena, Maralescu, Felix-Mihai, Lighezan, Daniel Florin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-06-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: autonomic dysfunction; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiac patients; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Electrocardiogram; Electrocardiography; Fourier transforms; Heart beat; Heart rate; heart rate variability; Hormone replacement therapy; Hypothyroidism; Medical colleges; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Metabolism; Nervous system; Patients; Physiology; Statistical analysis; Thyroid gland; Thyroid hormones; Variance analysis; Romania; heart rate variability; hypothyroidism; autonomic dysfunction
• ISSN: 2075-4418; 2075-4418
• DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14121261

Thyroid hormones have a pivotal role in controlling metabolic processes, cardiovascular function, and autonomic nervous system activity. Hypothyroidism, a prevalent endocrine illness marked by inadequate production of thyroid hormone, has been linked to different cardiovascular abnormalities, including alterations in heart rate variability (HRV). The study included 110 patients with hypothyroid disorder. Participants underwent clinical assessments, including thyroid function tests and HRV analysis. HRV, a measure of the variation in time intervals between heartbeats, serves as an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity and cardiovascular health. The HRV values were acquired using continuous 24-h electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in individuals with hypothyroidism, as well as after a treatment period of 3 months. All patients exhibited cardiovascular symptoms like palpitations or fatigue but showed no discernible cardiac pathology or other conditions associated with cardiac disease. The findings of our study demonstrate associations between hypothyroidism and alterations in heart rate variability (HRV) parameters. These results illustrate the possible influence of thyroid dysfunction on the regulation of cardiac autonomic function.