3.1 Participants
A total of 54 participants were included (18 with SCH, 18 with OH, and 18 HC). All participants completed the study. Concordance coefficients for carotid intima-media thickness were analyzed. The intraobserver intima-media thickness agreement was excellent on RCCA and LCCA (ICC 0.92 and 0.95, respectively). The interobserver intima-media thickness agreement was rated as good to excellent (ICC 0.72 on RCCA and 0.96 on LCCA).
The mean age at the beginning of the study was 35.8 years ± 12.5, and 74.1% of the population were women. The median TSH in the group with SCH was 6.15 (4.6-34 µIU/mL), 96.4 in the OH group (10-140 µIU/ml), and 2.6 in HC (0.9-3.9 µIU/mL) (p<0.001). The total cholesterol was greater in OH vs. SCH and controls (204 ± 51.7 mg/dL in OH, 171 ± 31.2 mg/dL in SCH, and 186.2 ± 24.3 mg/dL in HC, p=0.041). The serum blood glucose was normal in all groups; however, the value was higher in the groups with hypothyroidism in comparison to the HC group (94.7 ± 7.0 mg/dl in SCH, 95.1 ± 6.1 mg/dL in OH, and 87.2 ± 8.06 mg/dL in HC, p=0.048).
In the sub-analysis between two populations, in the group with SCH vs. HC, the serum glucose level was statistically higher in SCH (94.7±7.0 mg/dL in SCH and 87.2±8.06 mg/dL in HC). In the comparison between OH and HC, the glucose level was also statistically higher in the first group (95.1±6.1 mg/dL in OH and 87.2±8.06 mg/dL in HC). In the comparison between SCH and OH, the total cholesterol level was statistically higher in OH (171±31.2 mg/dL in SCH and 204 ± 51.7 mg/dL in OH), and also the weekly dose of levothyroxine (a median of 350.0 mcg and 825 mcg for SCH and OH, respectively) (Table 1).