Journal of Korean Thyroid Association  2013;6(2):101-105

doi:10.11106/jkta.2013.6.2.101

Hypothyroidism and Metabolic Syndrome.

Jae Hoon MOON 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Hypothyroidism; Metabolic syndrome; Thyroid hormone analogue

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of diseases that include central obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the key pathophysiology is insulin resistance. Thyroid hormone has been known to play an important role in lipid and glucose metabolism and hypothyroidism causes atherosclerosis and insulin resistance. A number of clinical studies reported overt or subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with metabolic syndrome, and there has been the efforts elucidating a link between these two diseases. Recently, thyroid hormone analogue or thyromimetics has been developed to improve metabolic syndrome including dyslipidemia. I reviewed recently reported mechanisms explaining the association between hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome, and current status of the development of thyromimetics was also reviewed.