Increased prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in older men and women with subclinical hypothyroidism

BACKGROUND: We report the prevalence of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) associated with subclinical hypothyroidism in older persons. METHODS: We investigated the association of subclinical hypothyroidism with symptomatic PAD in 18 persons (16 women and 2 men) with subclinical hypothyroidism and in 231 euthyroid persons (151 women and 96 men), mean age 79 +/- 9 years, in an academic nursing home. RESULTS: Symptomatic PAD was present in 14 of 18 persons (78%) with subclinical hypothyroidism and in 40 of 231 euthyroid persons (17%; p <.0001, comparing subclinical hypothyroidism with euthyroidism). Symptomatic PAD was present in 13 of 16 women (81%) and in 1 of 2 men (50%) with subclinical hypothyroidism (p was not significant). CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with a high prevalence of symptomatic PAD in elderly men and women.