Hypothyroidism results in small dense LDL independent of IRS traits and hypertriglyceridemia

There is evidence of an association between hypothyroidism and coronary heart disease. We decided to look at the relationship between hypothyroidism and LDL subclasses' pattern including small, dense LDL to define a biochemical basis for better management of the CHD risk of these patients. We utilized a case-control design to evaluate differences in lipid parameters between cases and controls. Univariate analysis revealed that many factors were associated with LDL particle size. Binary logistic regression however revealed that only thyroid status and serum triglyceride (TG) levels were independently associated with LDL particle size. Results from this study support an independent association between LDL particle size phenotype and both plasma TG concentrations and thyroid status. After adjusting for TG levels, other insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) traits were not associated with LDL size phenotype, suggesting that the IRS related sdLDL is linked most strongly to alterations in TG levels.