Umesh Ramachandra Bilagi, Vinal J. Shah, Krathan Krishna Shetty
BACKGROUND Hypothyroidism is a cause of pulmonary artery hypertension. Increased BMI also contributes to pulmonary artery hypertension. Increasing age in healthy people is associated with increasing pulmonary artery pressures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied 30 subjects of hypothyroidism and 50 healthy controls; mean age was 39.53 ± 14.97 and 38.82 ± 14.65 years respectively. 27 females and 3 males were hypothyroid. 44 females and 6 males were controls. RESULTS Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was significantly more in hypothyroid individuals as compared to controls, p-value 0.01, mean PASP in hypothyroid individual was 25.83 ± 6.30 mmHg and in controls it was 23.12 ± 2.97 mmHg. Effect size by r square 0.08. Higher BMI was associated increased PASP in hypothyroid individual. P value 0.01. Effect size by r square 0.11, mean BMI was 24.54 ± 3.95 kg and mean PASP was 25.83 ± 6.30 mmHg. Increasing age was associated with increased PASP in controls. P value 0.01, effect size by r square 0.38; mean age was 38.82 ± 14.65 years and mean PASP was 23.12 ± 2.97 mmHg. CONCLUSION Hypothyroidism is associated with increase in pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Increased BMI of hypothyroid has more effect on increased pulmonary artery systolic pressure than hypothyroidism alone. In healthy subjects, pulmonary artery systolic pressure increases with age.
