Publications by authors named "Friederike Bergen"
Elevated concentrations of free thyroid hormones are established cardiovascular risk factors, but the association of thyrotropin (TSH) levels to hard endpoints is less clear. This may, at least in part, ensue from the fact that TSH secretion depends not only on the supply with thyroid hormones but on multiple confounders including genetic traits, medication and allostatic load. Especially psychosocial stress is a still underappreciated factor that is able to adjust the set point of thyroid function.
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- The study aimed to find out if free thyroxine (FT4) levels can predict ventricular arrhythmias in heart failure patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).
- 115 euthyroid patients undergoing ICD procedures were monitored, and during an average follow-up of about 3.2 years, 21% experienced appropriate ICD therapy and 9% suffered cardiovascular death.
- Results showed that patients with appropriate ICD therapy had significantly higher FT4 levels, and FT4 was identified as an independent predictor for arrhythmias, suggesting that thyroid levels may be important in managing these patients.