Low triiodothyronine and exercise capacity in heart failure.

Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPT) has a prominent value in assessing clinical severity in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Reduced free triiodothyronine (fT3) plasma level is associated with a more severe disease and prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between low fT3 plasma level and reduced exercise capacity in chronic HF, and to determine the influence of a low T3 status in subsets of patients with different functional impairment.

Acute effects of triiodothyronine (T3) replacement therapy in patients with chronic heart failure and low-T3 syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Context: Low-T(3) syndrome is a predictor of poor outcome in patients with cardiac dysfunction. The study aimed to assess the short-term effects of synthetic L-T(3) replacement therapy in patients with low-T(3) syndrome and ischemic or nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DC).

Design: A total of 20 clinically stable patients with ischemic (n = 12) or nonischemic (n = 8) DC were enrolled.

Erythrocyte Na/K-ATPase is increased in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Objective: In erythrocytes of patients with overt hyperthyroidism, the number of ouabain-binding sites and the activity of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase have been demonstrated to be decreased, whereas the opposite is true in patients with overt hypothyroidism. No information has been reported on the status of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase in subclinically hypothyroid (Sub Hypo) patients.

Design: We investigated the number of ouabain-binding sites and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in erythrocytes of chronic Sub Hypo subjects.

Low-T3 syndrome: a strong prognostic predictor of death in patients with heart disease.

Background: Clinical and experimental data have suggested a potential negative impact of low-T3 state on the prognosis of cardiac diseases. The aim of the present prospective study was to assess the role of thyroid hormones in the prognosis of patient population with heart disease.

Methods And Results: A total of 573 consecutive cardiac patients underwent thyroid function profile evaluation.

Nonthyroidal illness syndrome in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is an established cause of nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) has been reported to be less invasive than coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with CPB. We prospectively evaluated thyroid metabolism in OPCAB patients.