The effects of thyroxine replacement on the levels of serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and other biochemical cardiovascular risk markers in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: The relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still under debate. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL), L-arginine and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations and their relationship to nitric oxide (NO) production, measured as plasma nitrite-plus-nitrate (NO(x)) concentration, in patients with SH before and after thyroxine replacement therapy and compared with control group values.

Design: Eighty-four women with SH and 33 healthy women as controls matched to the patient group for sex, age and body mass index (BMI), were enrolled in this study.