Cardiovascular Changes May Be Linked to Hypothyroidism

To be hypothyroid, means that a person doesn't have enough thyroid hormones in the body to function normally, and the reason would be because the thyroid gland is underactive and isn't making enough of the thyroid hormone for the person's body requirements. Having hypothyroidism can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild hypothyroidism is known to be more common in women than it is in men. In addition to developing primary hypothyroidism, a person that is treated for a thyroid disorder will most likely experience iatrogenic hypothyroidism at some point, and the reason for this is because the treatments for other thyroid conditions may result in hypothyroidism which is sometimes temporary.

When a person has hypothyroidism, everything in the body may seem to slow down; this will include the reflexes, and the ability to maintain body temperature, and the ability to respond to the environment. The slowing down that the person is experiencing can occur from head to toe.

People that have hypothyroidism will often have an unusually slow pulse rate and high blood pressure. In some cases, prolonged or more severe hypothyroidism can raise the cholesterol levels as well, and this may aggravate blockage of the coronary arteries. In severe cases of hypothyroidism, the heart muscle fibers may weaken, which this can lead to heart failure. Even though this case may be rare, the person would have to be suffering from severe and obvious hypothyroid symptoms for a long amount of time before the heart would be at a high risk.

Even in cases of mild hypothyroidism, it may aggravate the risk for heart disease if the person has other risk cofactors. For instance, it is not unlikely for the person to notice some chest pain or some shortness of breath when engaged in some physical activity. Keep in mind that these symptoms may also be confused with angina. The person may experience some calf pain, which is caused by hardening of the arteries and dysfunction of the muscles in the leg. Fluid may also have collected in the leg, causing the leg and feet to swell.

Resources: The Thyroid Sourcebook, Fifth Edition