Evaluation of the relationship of subclinical hypothyroidism with metabolic syndrome and its components in adolescents: a population-based study.

Purpose: This study investigated the association of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in adolescents.

Methods: The study population included 1006 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys; SCH subjects were compared with euthyroid subjects. MetS was defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The risks of MetS and its components in SCH and euthyroid subjects were calculated using binary logistic regression analyses.

Results: Study subjects had a mean age of 14.2 ± 2.5 years, and 53% were male. The prevalence of MetS was 2.5% in the overall study population (3.2% of males and 1.7% of females). Among the 1006 subjects, 143 (14.2%) had SCH. The risk of MetS was not higher in SCH subjects than in euthyroid subjects (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-4.11); however, among the components of MetS, the risk of abdominal obesity was higher in SCH subjects than in euthyroid subjects (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.04-4.15) after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Although not statistically significant, a trend toward increased risk of elevated blood pressure (BP) was observed in SCH subjects relative to euthyroid subjects after further adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 0.89-4.52). Furthermore, non-obese SCH subjects had higher systolic BP compared with non-obese euthyroid subjects after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (P = 0.014).

Conclusions: SCH was not associated with the presence of MetS. However, SCH may be associated with abdominal obesity and possibly elevated BP in adolescents.